Lim Aear
by silent-niobe
Summary: Elaine doesn't believe in eternity. Can he make her believe or will he lose his life? Set in modern times. LegolasOC, Warnings for mention of sexual assault, some language and mature scenes.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I only own whatever you don't recognise. The rest belong to the genious mind of J.R.R. Tolkien.

**Author's Note:** This is my first fic... So please be gentle! I am aware that Galadriel sailed to Valinor. And I can already imagine the rest of your objections. Please remember thatit's an AU story and I present things the way they fit my plot. Oh, and I cannot guarantee the quality of my elvish! Many many many thanks to my BETA **Ivy**!

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**Prologue**

_Somewhere in the world, 1991_

The little girl climbed down the rocks that led to a small wooden deck, where the old fisherman was sitting. She walked silently over to him and sat down. The old man didn't turn to look at her, only smiled and kept smoking his long pipe, for he knew it was the girl who visited him everyday. He put his fishing stick down and smoothed his long white beard.

'The Wizard': that's what they called him. Partly because people thought him strange, partly because of his big pointed hat.

"Do you hear it?"

"What?" she said in a whisper.

"The music."

She strained her ears and closed her eyes. A gentle breeze caressed her face and she breathed in deeply. She heard it then; it was the waves; the trees; the flowers; the sand.

And beautiful voices.

"Who are they?" she asked mesmerized by the voices.

"Hmm?" He turned to look at her, still smoking his pipe.

"The people who sing."

He smiled. "Elves."

The girl frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Papa says that neither them nor Santa exist."

The old man laughed.

"Oh yes! They don't. But the elves do."

He turned to look at her, his eyes holding a twinkle she hadn't noticed before.

"Elves are not what they are thought to be. They have nothing to do with Santa."

"Then why do people say that?"

"Oh, people say many things!" He sighed. "I can tell you that elves are immortal; tall and graceful they are, and excellent warriors! Not that wicked little creatures they are thought to be!"

She was beyond confused. The old man chuckled and turned toward her once more.

"Imagine them like… angels. Only without the wings."

The girl's face changed into one of recognition.

"Oh, I see… Then why people don't know them?"

"Because the people who have seen or heard them have chosen to keep their existence a secret. But these people are very few."

"Why am I one of them?"

He smiled and grabbed her shoulders. He looked at her in the eyes and smiled.

"Do not question fate, little one. Just meet it."

She stayed there for a few minutes, listening to the voices and watching the sunset. Then she stood up and, after turning to look for a last time at the old man, she climbed up the rocks to go back to her house.

She never saw him again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**Chapter 1 **

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**_Somewhere in the world, 2006 _**

She raced down the stairs to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Elaine, why are you breathless?"

"Oh, hey mom! I was upstairs…-", breath, "…-and had to run down to get the phone-… " deep breath,… "-that's why!"

She sat down on the couch and tried to find her normal breathing speed.

"Whatever. Is everything ok over there? Do you need anything? If you do…-"

"-…I'll call Grandma, I know. How is France?"

"Oh, amazing as always! Your father and sister are swimming in a lake and I'm in a nice little café with Pauline."

"Cool." She twirled the phone's cord around her finger and started biting it.

"Have you called your cousins over yet?"

"Not yet."

Her mother sighed.

"Elaine, I don't want you to be alone over there!"

"Mom, I'm not alone!" she protested. "Jessica's here and some other friends from school and…-"

"Ok, ok, fine. Do whatever you like, just be careful. It gets dangerous at night, it's dark and there are strange people out there."

"Yes Mom, I've heard this a thousand times before!"

"Alright, a thousand and one then! I gotta go. Take care!"

"Have a nice time! Bye!"

She hung up and lay down on the couch. Life was finally getting better. Her parents and sister would stay in France for one month and she would finally be able to have some time for herself at their beach house. It was on a very beautiful beach that looked exotic. The golden sand and clear water made the site look as if it was a picture ripped out of a Hawaiian travel book. The shining sun kissed the sand for a few miles, all of which Elaine knew by heart. The house was right at the beginning of the beach, which met with a rocky hill at its right. She had gone climbing on those rocks many times, but had found it hard the last three years, because, strangely, some thick bushes had grown up in front of them, where water had not covered them. When she was younger, she used to jump from rock to rock, do a circle around the small cape and reach the small harbor. But along with the vegetation, the waves had also grown wilder making it very dangerous to approach.

She stretched and got up. She remembered her favorite CD was playing upstairs, so she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside, she turned the volume down a bit and leaned on her window's ceiling. It was a perfect evening. People had finally left the beach and everything was so peaceful. The last rays of the sun were caressing the powdery sand and painting the sea with red and orange colors. It was simply breathtaking.

The last track of the CD ended, but she didn't notice the music had stopped. She was still gazing at the beach, its peace finding its way into her heart. It had been a long time since she had last felt so peaceful. Yes, it was her fault. Or that's what she thought. And she had chosen to suffer the pain alone.

She felt the familiar lump form in her throat. She closed her eyes holding back tears that threatened to fall._ No , _she thought desperately._ I will not cry _today . The light breeze brushed her locks off her face and she breathed in deeply.

Music. It was a familiar music.

The waves, the trees, the flowers, the sand.

_The Elves. _

She opened her eyes frowning. She was too old to believe in fairytales. Too old to believe in an old white-haired fisherman, with the long white beard and the pointed hat, who had become after all those years a faint memory. People said he was crazy. Was he? She had heard the music many times. Their voices. She even thought she could see them late at night, gliding on the beach, their skin glowing, their clothes flowing in the light breeze.

Or it was just dreams. Yes, that's what it was. After all, she was too old to believe in fairytales. Too hurt to believe in immortality. Forever did not exist for her. Someone had promised her forever, but was gone way too soon.

Her gaze fell back to the sea. The waters looked… tempting. Her eyes widened at the idea that had just landed on her mind… Yes, swimming at night was something she had wanted to do for many years now, but never had the chance. She put on her swimming suit quickly and grabbing her towel, she flew down the stairs to the kitchen. When she found her keys, she got out and locked the door behind her.

Legolas sprinted up the stairs that lead to the Gate. It was a beautiful night with a full moon. He could feel it. Reaching the Gate, he said the password and it opened almost noiselessly. After a few more stairs, he reached the entrance of the cave that stood at the right end of the beach, hidden behind bushes and rocks somewhere at the base of the rocky hill. The bushes made way for him and he kneeled down behind a rock. Peering around it carefully, he saw that no one was on the beach and it was already dark. Just as he was about to come out of his hidden spot, his Elven eyesight caught movement in the water. He did not move to hide himself further, for he knew it would be a Man who wouldn't be able to see or hear him because of the dark.

A person came out from underwater and jerked their hair back. _A female_, he thought. He knew that not many males of this age had long hair. She secured her hair with a band in a low ponytail and started walking slowly to the shore.

A smile appeared on his lips. She was beautiful. She was slowly walking to the shore, the water making it hard to reach it in a normal pace. His eyes fell to her long legs, the soft curves of her hips and then up to her breasts, held back by what they called "a bikini". Even though he had got used to the sight of women in this piece of… clothing (which, he noted, was getting smaller as time went by), it still made him uncomfortable.

For thousands of years, his people had watched the race of Men develop. Many times he had found himself surprised at their achievements and their rapid progress. And every time his people had to adjust their way of living to secure their existence. First they had to hide in the woods and when most of them were destroyed, they found refuge in the enormous cavern system they had found underground. It was actually an underground lake, the Lim Aear or Clear Sea, as they had named it, and on its shores, they had managed to build their elegant houses. Lady Galadriel had blessed the ground with her magic and trees and flowers had grown under the surface of Earth, making the cave feel more like home to them.

A number of stairs lead to the Gate, made of solid rock, which was unapproachable to Men, since they would have to use a 'key' in the shape of a leaf, that only elves held in their possession. They never used it though, because they had the privilege of saying a secret password and the Gate would open for them, whereas a human could not command the gate. Many elves would climb up the stairs to the world of Men and wander on the beach late at night to admire their beloved stars, but when some rumors were heard that they had been seen, they had to stay in Lim Aear for eight years, long enough to be forgotten by Men. This time they were more careful and had grown some bushes in front of the cave that lead to the Gate, so that people wouldn't be able to even approach.

But they were not able to get rid of the orcs. They had found a passage that lead to the other end of the long lake and they had made themselves home there. Their numbers had grown worryingly and sometimes they would even go up to the world of Men, creating legends of monsters or what humans called werewolves wandering in the woods late at night. Or they would build ships to get to the other end of the lake and cause problems to the Elves, as they had always had.

His attention was brought back to the young woman, who was now getting out of the sea. The pale moonlight made her look like an ethereal creature, her skin ornate with little diamonds, drops of salty water that trickled down her lithe body.

He shifted uncomfortably in his leggings. The familiar heat that had risen through his body, warned him he should stop entertaining inappropriate thoughts about her. She was but a mortal child and he had no interest for such things. But those legs…

_Stop it!_

He shook his head. He was being ridiculous. This wasn't the first time he had seen a woman like that. His thoughts were certainly unacceptable and un-elf-like. However, his eyes were drawn to her every time he tried to look away.

His thoughts were interrupted when she turned her face towards him. Had she seen him? That was impossible. It was very dark and the race of Men was not known for their eyesight or hearing. Nor were they beautiful like Elves. But this woman before him had something that made him feel like no other elven maiden had ever done, and not a few of them had tried to gain his attention.

The eyes. It was the eyes. Those deep, forest green eyes.

He stared in shock. "It cannot be…" he whispered.

She was the girl. The girl he had seen talking with Mithrandir years ago. The girl with the most intriguing green eyes he had ever seen in his long life. She was always alert and looked around her watchful, her ears trying to pick up a sound of his folk. Sometimes he thought she could even see him and the rest of the Elves. Those eight years, when they had stayed out of Men's sight, he had not seen her at all. The last picture of her was that of a spirited girl, jumping from rock to rock, right next to the entrance of the cave that lead to Lim Aear. That little girl was the beautiful woman before him.

So deep was he in shock, that he never noticed the man approaching the young woman.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

**Author's Note:** This is the chapter which includes the attempt of rape. It's not descriptive and it's very short, but I had to warn! ;-)

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**Chapter 2**

Elaine heard a pair of feet dragging themselves heavily on the sand. She turned around startled and saw a drunk man around 30 in a pair of jeans and a dirty leather jacket approaching her, a sly smile on his face. Her heart jumped in her chest and she looked around panicked for someone to help her.

She was alone.

And shocked. Her legs couldn't move and her hands were shaking. The man kept coming closer. Snapping out of her trance, she picked up her towel and keys and started running in a fast sprint towards her house.

She never had a chance.

Suddenly a weight from behind threw her on her stomach, making her scream. She managed to turn on her back struggling to keep the man's hands off.

"Relax baby, it will be over before you know it…" the man said and tried to rip the top of her bikini off her.

Her mind was in disarray. _She warned me. Mom warned me. I should not have come here alone at night... s_he thought frantically and managed to give the man a kick in his ribs. For a few seconds he had doubled over grabbing his ribs, but they were not enough for Elaine to escape.

"HELP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, before the man slapped her.

"You bitch!"

She felt the side of her head collide with something hard and then everything went black for a few minutes, a blinding pain rising where she had got hit. Her senses were not working properly and her body did not respond to whatever commands her mind was able to give at such a state. Suddenly, the weight lifted off her and she tried to open her eyes, finding only colorful spots dancing before her. She made out two people fighting, flashes of gold and black, a punch and then her eyes closed of their own will.

She heard voices in the distance and the sound of police somewhere afar. A presence leaned over her and she breathed in a sweet scent, instead of a breath that smelled of alcohol. Cool fingers cupped her face and glided softly over her cheek caressing her, comforting her. Silk tickled her bare shoulder as the person leaned closer and she opened her eyes slowly to find a blurred vision of gold and ocean blue. She blinked a few times and the vision cleared.

She was staring into two silvery-blue eyes that belonged to the most beautiful face she had ever seen: soft lips, pale skin, dark brows and golden hair.

"Ú-gosto, tithener. Pan mae." A melodic voice escaped his lips and then he was gone, before she even had time to blink. /Do not fear, little one. All (is) well./

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again she found herself in an ambulance, a male and a female doctor working over her. _I must have lost consciousness_, she thought. She could not feel pain anymore, only dizziness. Something cold ran through her veins in her left hand and she turned her eyes to see they have injected some medicine into her. A hand touched the side of her head and she closed her eyes as pain filled her.

"Good, she has her senses back John!"

"Finally, I was beginning to worry. Keep her awake."

Their voices made her open her eyes again and look over at them.

"Does this hurt?" the male doctor asked.

"Yes." she managed to answer.

More talking, more touching, more pain.

"Try to move your legs."

She did.

"Good, now your arms, hands and fingers."

They were working fine, just like her legs.

She noticed they had ice pressed to the side of her head only when its cold touch subsided as they removed it. She closed her eyes. A hand was gently shaking her the moment she did.

"Listen to me sweetie, you cannot sleep," the female doctor said. "I know your eyes feel heavy and you feel sleepy and dizzy, but you must not sleep for a few hours. You hit your head hard on some rock, but you were lucky to get only a bump. Though, you still have to remain awake, just in case. Ok? If you feel like vomiting, I have a plastic bag here."

Elaine nodded and turned to her right to see the male doctor putting her towel and keys in another bag, but suddenly stopping when his hands found a shiny object. He held it up to his face, turning it around and examining it carefully, a look of confusion in his face.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

It was a green and golden leaf.

Her throat was dry and sore. She could not explain now. She would give it back to him when she would recover.

"Yes."

"It's beautiful… whatever it is." he told her and smiled. "Do you remember what happened? Who tied up the man who attacked you? He was gone when we reached you."

She licked her dry lips. Her eyes were suddenly feeling heavier. Her vision had blurred.

"An angel…" she whispered and then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics:thoughts_

**Chapter 3 **

She touched the metallic green leaf with the golden threads that lay in her palm with her fingertips. It had been eight days since the incident at the beach. The doctors had kept her in the hospital for observation that night, and the next morning they released her. They had given her some pills to ease any headaches she might have, and told her the bump would subside in two or three days. And so it had. The side of her head felt only a little tender when she touched it and she suffered a few headaches at night, which were, too, subsiding.

Elaine had stepped out of the house only in order to be questioned by the police. They had been very insistent on the man who had saved her and she knew why. She had seen officers examine carefully the rope with which he had tied up her attacker, before it was sent to the main quarters for further examination. And she had seen it herself: it was a gray rope, velvet in touch, but deathly painful when someone struggled against it, according to the attacker's testimony. He had said that for a few seconds it burnt him and then froze him in the strangest way. The police officers asked her at least ten times to give them the exact description of the man, but she could not tell them more than she remembered. Finally, they had left her alone, after she refused to press charges on the attacker, not wanting to get involved with any trials.

Her thoughts returned to her savior. After she had woken up the next morning of the attack and was able to think straight, the picture of him that she had in her mind, had become clearer: it was that of a young man, with long blond hair and silvery-blue eyes. She had never seen eyes with such color before. They seemed almost… unnatural. His face had gentle features and wore a worried expression when he had looked upon her. His dark brows were furrowed and his lips were set in a thin line.

Was it the clear worry in his features and the look of concentration on his face that made him so manly beautiful and magical, or his gentle and melodic voice?

_What did he say to me? _she wondered. Was he from another country? And what language were the words he had said in? They didn't sound familiar. But even though she did not know their meaning, the way the words flowed over her senses like a song had managed to soothe her.

She had to return it. To give it back to him. Thank him for saving her. It was the least she could do. But she didn't know where to find him. He had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. And she didn't even know his name!

She got up and headed to the beach. There was still light, and she needed some fresh air. After all, she had stayed in her house for seven days, refusing to see any of her friends who had learned what happened and rushed to see her. Fortunately for her, her friends were discreet enough not to call her parents, otherwise they would have got the first flight home and would have been back in a matter of hours. Being alone, however, hadn't helped her much, but she wasn't sure if company would have helped her either. The only thing she was sure about, was that she needed to think and there was only one place to do that: the flat rock at the base of the rocky hill, where she had spent many hours just watching the sea, thinking, dreaming, hoping.

Elaine was probably the only person who knew how to approach and get on the flat rock. She had to go behind the bushes, then climb some rocks and reach it from behind. Those bushes would be a problem, though. Every year they seemed taller and wilder.

She walked to the bushes and was surprised to find a path laid down before her. _Was this always here? _she wondered, confusion clouding her thoughts. Last week she had attempted to visit her favorite spot, but the bushes were so thick, that it had been impossible. _Maybe someone else came here after me and made a path_, she thought and started walking.

Suddenly the leaf felt warm in her hand. She stopped, reaching the rocks she had to climb, and opened her palm to look at it.

Nothing strange. It was cool again.

_Did I hit my head THAT hard?_

She turned around and her heart made a leap. The path was gone! She looked around her, trying to find the way she had come from, but the only thing she could see was bushes! She took a calming breath and tried not to panic_. Alright, it's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere! There must be a way out to the beach…_

Her gaze fell to the rocks and hope rose in her heart. She would climb up to the flat rock, which was visible from the beach, and then people would see her and get her down… somehow. _Eight days and I've already gotten into major trouble twice… Go El! _She went carefully around another rock in order to find some kind of a step to pull herself up and froze mid-step.

There was a cave. And light was coming out from the deep. _Maybe it's the person who made the path! s_he walked carefully towards the entrance and peered inside.

Stairs? 

And where was the light coming from?

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Is anybody down there?" she tried again.

More silence.

_Well, then I'll have to come down to you! _she thought and stepped inside the cave.

It wasn't a dark, scary cave. It was more like a kind of a tunnel, made by men's hands. She started walking down the stairs, her senses heightened to their peak in case of any danger. She noticed the torches on the walls. _Definitely someone down there! _Deeper and deeper she went, until after some minutes, she came across a rocky wall.

_Great. Dead end._

The leaf felt warm again. Her eyes went to her hand to find the leaf glowing. Startled she dropped it to the ground and took a few steps back.

"What the fuck?" she exclaimed, looking around and trying to fit the pieces together in the puzzle.

Rock, rock, rock and… rock. Why would someone built the stairs in the first place if there was only a dead end _There must be an opening somewhere. _She started feeling the walls around her and stopped when she found cravings on the wall at the end of the stairs. She tried to make something out of them, but they didn't make sense to her. Her fingers moved higher to find a craving that looked like…

_The leaf!_

She turned and looked at it. Could it be the key to her answer? She picked it up hesitantly and brought it to the wall. It was still shining. She lifted it up to the craving and fitted it in. The leaf gave out a blinding light and the wall parted noiselessly, as if it was made of feathers.

Elaine stood still in shock. That couldn't be happening! Had she stepped into Wonderland? Maybe she was still in the hospital in a coma! She tried to move, but her legs stayed rooted to the ground. The light ceased and she was able to see more stairs. A part of her screamed for her to get out as quickly as possible and forget about the cave, but another part urged her to go on. Just who had built all of this? And how could a wall of solid rock part so easily putting only a leaf in the right place? She pulled the leaf off the rocky "entrance" and started walking down the stairs. The rocky wall closed back behind her and she immediately regretted her decision. She panicked for a moment and pushed at the wall with all her might, but it was as if it had never opened. She turned towards the stairs again and took a few calming breaths, trying to slow the wild beating of her heart.

_Thank God for the torches. _At least she didn't have to face the dark.

The stairs were endless. She kept descending them, wondering how many feet she was under the earth's surface. She noted the air was fresh and not at all close, as it should be in a cave. She took another turn and stopped right on her heels.

Now that was certainly a dream.

A whole world was at her feet, her being on the highest point. There was a road in front of her that lead to a small forest, and beyond that, a whole city could be seen, built downhill until it reached a lake. Elaine could not see the shores on the opposite side of the lake. The houses were built on several levels, connected by beautiful bridges. Flowers and trees decorated the whole city, making it look as if it was taken out of a fairytale. Elaine had never seen such architecture and felt as if words could not be enough to describe its beauty and elegance. At the highest spot of the city farthest from her, an imposing marble castle towered over the other houses, its gate and rocky walls able to be seen from afar.

_An underground city… and a forest… in a cave… I'm DEFINITELY hallucinating!_

Hesitantly she walked down the last few steps and followed the road that lead to the forest and, after that, to the city.

_Maybe the people who live here could help me_, she thought and tried to make herself feel at ease, after going through surprise, fear, relief and utter shock in no more than fifteen minutes.

She kept strolling in the forest at a slow pace, watching her surroundings. There was even grass on the ground! She had never seen most of the trees and all of them were so tall, that she couldn't see the top of the cave…

_…or whatever it is! _she thought and chuckled as she pictured herself as Alice in Wonderland.

"Do not move, or my arrow will be your death," a strong, yet gentle voice commanded and she froze.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for your reviews! Also many thanks to my BETA **Ivy** for her suggestions! If you find any mistakes in the elvish phrases, please let me know...

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**Chapter 4 **

"Turn around and show your face," the voice commanded.

Elaine felt herself panic. She turned around slowly and found an arrow pointed at her face. Her eyes traveled its length and finally fell upon its owner.

A gasp escaped her lips and she brought her hand to cover her open wide mouth.

It was him. Her savior. The man who had haunted her dreams the last eight days.

She would recognize that face everywhere. How more beautiful was he in real life than in that memory of hers! Taller than her, he held the bow and arrow in a perfect stature, lithe yet strong, half of his golden hair pulled back and flowing on his shoulders.

Legolas was equally shocked. Reason left him the moment she turned around and showed her face to him. For eight days his thoughts had revolved around her, whether that was worry for her condition after the attack or another feeling he could not explain…

_Longing_.

Longing to see her, touch her skin, lean over her and breathe in her sweet scent of summer, as he had that night. All it had taken was 10 minutes and then his whole world had been turned upside down. Or was it all these years he had been watching her as a child, secretly and innocently, only enjoying and sharing her joy of life as she jumped from rock to rock and ran on the beach? How was it that after thousands of years and thousands of potential mates, he had fallen for the mortal woman in 10 mere minutes on that beach?

That day, he was about to go to the beach in search of the Leaf, which he had lost while he fought with the man. Beat him up actually. He was furious beyond words for the way the man had treated the young woman and his intentions towards her. He had to wait for the police officers to stop patrolling the beach in hopes of finding him and then carefully look for the Leaf, although he believed his search would be in vain. He shouldn't have used the _hithlain_ rope he carried with him to tie up the man. The Prince of Lim Aear should not have been so careless. He just HAD to ensure the mortal girl's safety, though. All he could do at the moment was pray to the Valar that the Men would soon forget about it.

So, as he was walking through the forest and towards the Gate, he had heard footsteps in the forest. A human's footsteps, no less! He could recognize them from miles away. He had carefully followed the girl, until she was about to reach their city. He could not allow that to happen. Their city was a secret place and most of the intruders were punished with death, a task the elves performed loathly.

But how had she gotten through? How had she moved the rocky Gate?

He didn't realize he had lowered his bow and arrow and was staring at her the way she was staring at him. He was finally able to see the color of her hair, as it was still wet the night of the attack: straight hair that reached her waist and held every shade of light brown and blond in it. He had a fascination, as most of the elves, with beautiful hair. And that was the strangest, yet most beautiful hair he had ever seen, cut in different lengths, locks escaping the ribbon -with which she held half of her hair pulled back low- and framing her face.

_They must be silky to touch_, he thought but was abruptly brought out of his daze when he heard the girl speak.

"I believe this is yours."

She didn't realize how or when these words escaped her lips. They just did. It was as if she no longer had control of her actions. She spoke slowly and clearly though, having in mind that he had spoken to her in another language, therefore he was a stranger.

She raised a trembling hand to give him the leaf. She hoped he had understood what she had told him and she wouldn't be in danger. Though, he looked no more threatening, having lowered his weapon and bearing the sweetest, puzzled look on his face. The man slowly looked down at her hand, and then he gently took the leaf from her open palm. At the touch of his skin on hers, a shiver ran down her spine and made her heart increase its speed of beating.

"Thank you, my lady. I thought I had lost it. You are most kind to return it."

Legolas had recovered from the shock and was able to find his voice back. Elaine was thrilled to hear him answer back in fluent English and gave him a wide smile.

His heart jumped at the sight. How would he love to kiss those dimples!

"I am the one who should thank you. I might be dead now if it wasn't for you."

He smiled in return. How she would love to kiss those lips!

"I should have tended to you, but I am not allowed to be seen. I heard people coming to help you, so I left assured you were safe."

She looked at him confused.

"Why aren't you allowed to…-"

But then she noticed. Her jaw dropped open. He had pointed ears…. No man had pointed ears!

_He's not a man… he's an elf!_

She shook her head unable to believe what she had before her eyes. She started taking steps backwards, suddenly afraid of the creature in front of her.

"So it's true… The old man wasn't crazy! You _do_ exist!"

The girl was scared. He could tell by her actions, he could feel the strong emotion emanating from her body and weighing his heart. He hadn't meant to frighten her! Everything had been going fine, he was finally able to talk to the woman who had made herself home in his mind for the past eight days and then… That was the first time he cursed himself for being an elf.

"Please do not run from me, my lady! I will bring you no harm!"

He started walking closer to her. The experience she had eight days before brought back memories and, in a state of panic, she turned around and started running, not caring to which direction. She just had to get away from him. Only a few seconds later, two strong arms enveloped her and kept her secure in their grasp. She screamed and kept struggling, but the iron grip only got stronger.

It felt weird. She was terrified, yet the warmth of the elf's body sent her senses whirling. His scent flooded her nostrils. She could not tell what he smelled like; it was fresh and sweet, like the air in a forest blessed by spring's grace, yet it was so unbelievably masculine, that made her head feel light and her knees weaken. His hold on her suddenly appeared to her somewhat comforting and she ceased her struggling. It was pointless, anyway.

Legolas felt the girl calm down and loosened his grip. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't let her go like that either. It was the laws of Lim Aear… and his own desire to get to know this young woman, whose green eyes had burnt themselves into his mind. He couldn't let her go now that he had found her.

He leaned in closer to her and whispered in her ear:

"I will let you go now, but I will ask of you not to run away like you did before, or it will be only a few minutes' time before you are caught again. I have the Leaf now, so you can go nowhere, unless I wish you to. No harm will come upon you, and that is the promise of the Prince of Lim Aear."

He spoke again in that authoritative but gentle voice of his and the warm breath that caressed her ear as he spoke, made her close her eyes and nod her head in obedience.

It took her a few seconds to realize he had said "Prince of Lim Aear". Prince? Had she been saved by a Prince?

He loosened his grip more and finally let her go. She turned around slowly, suddenly feeling very shy and embarrassed. She was standing in front of a Prince. An _elf_ Prince, no less. And if what the old man had said was true, that was a skilled warrior, immortal elf Prince.

She almost groaned out loud at her stupidity._ I just HAD to make a fool out of myself in front of him!_ She scolded herself mentally and tried to stop her hands from shaking.

His sensitive Elven hearing picked up the footsteps of a group of guards running, noiselessly for Elaine, towards their direction. It would be a matter of minutes before they reached them. _They must have heard her scream_, he thought and looked once more at the young woman in front of him.

"What is your name, fair lady?"

Legolas finally uttered the question whose answer he had been so eager to learn.

"My name is Elaine. People call me El for short… your highness."

She lowered her eyes to the ground, too shy to look at the Prince. She didn't know what to do, should she bow or something? It wasn't like she had met any royalties before!

He flinched at the sound of his title. He was called that all the time, for thousands of years, yet it felt so wrong coming from her lips.

"Such a suiting name. Êl means 'star' in our language. I swear your beauty shines as bright, lady Elaine."

She blinked. Had she misheard him? For a moment she thought he complimented her. But that could not be. He was a superior creature and a Prince, whereas she was a simple girl… She would never again have the illusion she was important. She was truly no one.

"It's just Elaine, your highness. I am no lady." She said just above a whisper, not lifting her eyes from the ground.

He opened his mouth to ask her to call him Legolas, but did not have time to finish when his guards emerged from behind the trees and surrounded Elaine, ten arrows pointed towards her.

"Pan mae, caun nín?" Adanoth, his Captain asked. /All (is) well, my Prince/

"Penio dad ping chîn!" Legolas commanded and the guards lowered their weapons to reveal Elaine, her face as white as a ghost. /Set down your bows/

She didn't dare even breathe. She stayed rooted in her place, her fists clenching and unclenching nervously, eyes travelling from one person to another, trying to understand what was going on. The lump in her throat was growing in a dangerous degree, and finally found release as tears started running down her cheeks.

Legolas felt as if he was stabbed right through his heart at the sight of her tears.

"Hene ú-dhelu." He said in a hushed voice at his captain and slowly approached Elaine. /She (is) not dangerous./

The guards moved out of his way, Adanoth following him close behind.

_Why is the Prince acting so strange?_ he wondered.

"I am truly sorry for that, Elaine. Please do not cry. Nobody will hurt you. I gave you my word."

He spoke softly to her and attempted to wipe her tears with his fingers but she withdrew from his touch. His heart was wounded for the second time in only a few seconds.

"I have done nothing wrong, why all this hostility towards me?" she asked her voice trembling.

"My humble apologies, my lady. We thought someone was in danger when we heard screaming." Adanoth said and bowed slightly.

She heard another beautiful voice and dropped her gaze to the person who had talked. When he rose, she noticed he was very handsome too. All the guards were, but she could compare no one to the Prince.

Legolas took a step forward and this time she did not move away from him.

"No one from the race of Men is allowed in Lim Aear, with the exception of a very few people. I may be the Prince, but I am bound to our laws as well. I cannot let you go, at least for the time being. You will have to come with me to the Palace, until a decision is made."

Her jaw dropped down in shock.

"You cannot let me go…?"

She started taking steps back, distancing herself from the Elves. A beautiful dream had suddenly turned into a nightmare. Adanoth shared a look with the Prince alarmed by the girl's behavior and nodded to the guards in order to be ready to catch her if she escaped.

"Are you out of your mind? My parents will be calling anytime soon and you can't let me go? Do you realize how worried everybody will get, if you keep me here? Don't even dare try anything, the police will start looking for me in 48 hours!"

At the moment she didn't care she was yelling in the face of a Prince, all she wanted was to go back home. That feeling of panic and total helplessness had taken over her again and she started shaking uncontrollably at the thought of being kept a prisoner by creatures, which until that day she didn't know that existed.

Legolas' mind was running from one thought to another. He had to obey the laws, but his heart was screaming at him to let her go because she was terrified. And he could not bear the thought that he was the reason at the first place that she was in that situation. It tore his heart to see her beautiful face tear-stained and fearful.

Elaine found that as an opportunity to escape. She started running towards the direction she had come from at full speed and did not dare look back. Of course, the guards were about to follow her immediately, when Legolas' voice stopped them.

"Ú-aphado hen." /Don't follow her./

They stopped on their heels and turned to look at him puzzled.

"Let her go." Legolas said in a steady voice again watching her run towards the Gate.

"But, your Highness…-" Adanoth was interrupted by the cold look Legolas gave him.

"Do not question your Prince, Adanoth. Do not go after her," Legolas warned.

His voice was emotionless, yet Adanoth knew him well enough to recognize a hint of sadness.

"Your highness, what if she tells someone of Lim Aear?"

"She will not. I know that. Send someone to open the Gate for her, but I don't want them to be seen."

And with that, he looked a last time at the girl disappearing in the woods and started walking towards the Palace.

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **First of all I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews! Second, I noticed that the notation I used for the translations would not show... I'm extremely sorry for the inconvenience, I promise I will correct it as soon as I find something that works! Enough talking, here comes Chapter 5! Please let me know what you think! o)

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

**Chapter 5 **

'_I have always been jealous of all those great narrators who have remained in history; all those who spoke of unique heroes, important themes and hard-to-grasp notions; used colorful and delicate language to express thoughts, feeling and ideas of intelligent minds._

_I, on the contrary, am the humble creation of an even humbler writer. I speak of no great things; I have no story to tell; no hero to worship, criticize or just present. But my master's heart is aching and their mind burning and I was called to speak in their place._

_I begged my creator to give me a hero or heroine; a great battle or a revolutionary view on society. But they claim they know of no such things; they are not great artists, only a piece in the cruel game of Love and Loneliness. And these are the reasons why they were forced to resemble an artist and my only help in this battle._

_So where do I begin? And how do I process? There is no "Once upon a time" that fits me. No logical orders for my work. No happy endings and tearful resolutions. No, no, no: a big No to everything; a big No to Love._

_Love. I have tasted it before. Once I was in love with a character. I was a character of my own back then and I could feel, touch, join myself with the normal flow of life in an invented world. But now I'm no one. I have no life of my own, no love to make me real. I am an empty presence who observes, but doesn't participate. I am just a narrator; and not a powerful one, mind you. I do not know everything. I cannot reach the deepest thoughts of the people I talk about._

_So what am I? A narrator who has no real reason of existence. Even worse, a narrator who has tasted Love, fell in love with Love and now is deprived of it. Not that my master is cruel, on the contrary: they desire so much to give, but how to give something you do not have? And they searched hard to find it, believe me. But the world is not an ideal fairytale and the prince is nowhere to be found. The princess must wait and she must wait alone, weep alone in a world who doesn't feel her pain; because the world already has love, or never had it to miss it._

_Ah, so there is my heroine. A lone princess in a strange castle, where people move fast; change; progress; live; while she stays apart from them, because her reason for life is not there. Many princes have come and gone; she welcomed them all, even the cruel ones. She lived then, having a reason to wake up in the morning and wait for something new, a change. But now everything is the same: she wakes up, eats, sleeps and all the while, waiting. A routine, such a routine! And that pain, that cold, heartless pain that tortures her everyday, that feeling of emptiness and longing for Life… for Love…_

_So, there, I have found my theme too: Loneliness. And what a complicated one! Some people enjoy their loneliness; they find it a break from their fast-paced lives. Because they have it all and naught they miss. They want to get away from people because they don't need them; they can live on their own and people are a mere extra for their selfish contentment. And these are the kind of people who get everything and leave none for a Princess, because they can't love anything else, but themselves._

_She was one of them once. She wanted everything and cared for nothing. She demanded, took and asked for more. They gave her all they had, but she was never satisfied. There was always something more to ask for, something more to do for her._

_Until one day, she asked for too much. More than she could get. She never thought of the consequences. There was only herself and she had to be satisfied. So, everything was taken from her. She was left with nothing. Only Guilt, Regret and Loneliness; and the empty, strange castle._

_Only then did the Princess realise she can love; that she WANTS to love, she has always loved. So where is the Prince? When is he going to show up? She has stopped searching; she can't risk another slap. She can't trust. She can't ask. She can't give. Only the Prince will make her live again. Only the Prince will make her love._

_Because she can. But she found out too late. She got hurt. And she won't do it again so easily. Please come quickly, Prince. She's dying inside._

_So here is my story; my heroine and my theme. I have no ending to give you. No resolution can I provide. Because I am but a humble narrator and my creator even humbler. If they were not, I would have never existed.'_

She wiped the tears on her cheeks and tore the pages from her diary. She crumpled them in her fist until her knuckles went white and squeezed her eyes shut. She had written that some time ago, when the pain became unbearable; when she missed love so terribly, that she imagined a Prince on a white horse would come to rescue her from her hell. He would make her believe in love again and drive all the guilt away. He would make her feel precious. Loved. Wanted. Not the worthless creature she felt right now. But she wouldn't take it for granted this time. She would not ask more than she could get. She had learned her lesson and learned it well.

How ironic. He was actually a Prince. A real one. Like one of those in the fairytales, like the one she had wished for. And what had she done? She had run away. But what else could she do? Stay when a dozen of some mythical creatures were pointing their arrows at her and wanted to keep her a prisoner?

She didn't remember how she had gotten out that night. She only remembered running in a daze and locking herself in her house, making sure that not even a window was unlocked. She had looked then towards the beach again and saw that no one was coming. Relief had washed over her but a pinch in her heart made her realize that she would not see her beautiful Prince again.

After what had happened the previous year, she was sure she would never fall in love again. She had promised to herself that she would never get close to anyone, anyone who would promise he would love her forever, only to leave her alone and suffering. She would just have fun, flirt and play. No commitments. No promises. No broken hearts. No one promising her forever. There was no such thing for her as eternity. Eternal love did not last…. Forever did not last….

But the Prince… he was immortal. _Does forever exist?_ She sighed. Everything was so complicated. Why couldn't her life be normal, just like every other girl's? Was she paying for her arrogance and profuse self-confidence, which had turned her life upside down over a night?

Why did she burden her mind with all that? Why couldn't she just forget everything and pretend that it never happened? Some people did that so easily… And she gave everyone the impression she did too. She laughed and joked and had fun with her friends, but when she found herself alone in her bedroom, everything came back to her with even more force.

_Why do I have to analyze everything? Why can't I just forget and move on? _

She was determined to forget that night. She grabbed her diary and ran downstairs to the living room. The fireplace was clean; it hadn't been used since winter. But soon, it was filled with pieces of written pages, ripped with rage and determination, until nothing was left but a pile of torn memories, thoughts and feelings. She took a lighter and lit up the pages she had been reading that were still held in her right hand. She watched them burn for a while and then threw them in the fireplace. The paper caught fire easily and after a while, all that was left was the dying flames and the ashes.

She kneeled in front of the fire place with a blank look on her face. She should be feeling free. Stronger. New. But all she felt was very, very empty. And even more confused.

She opened her eyes groaning and dropped her head in her hands. That was supposed to have been a liberating action. All she had managed, was to leave herself with a bunch of ashes that needed to be cleaned.

Damn her impulses to act like a drama queen in some romantic movie.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for your reviews! Also, many thanks to my BETA **Ivy** for the hard work she has done!The problem with the translations was solved and the chapters are more readable now. Here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_Italics: thoughts_

**Chapter 6 **

"El, what's wrong? Are you still thinking about that man at the beach?"

Elaine looked up at her best friend. Jessica had finally managed to talk her into going out for a drink with her friends, after she had locked herself again in the house for a couple of days. Jessica could not understand what was going on with her friend. She was no more the girl she used to be. She would laugh, but in her eyes there was always sadness. She went on with her life, but for her, nothing would be the same again.

Last year it was that heartbreaking experience and now that cursed man at the beach! What kind of bad luck was after that girl? Once more she had found her spacing in her own little world, thinking about God knew what. She knew the incident at the beach had given her a great scare and she wasn't over it yet, but even that could not explain her behavior.

"No, I was just… I dunno, just thinking." Elaine answered, not really knowing what to say.

She was thinking about the Prince again. She still didn't know his name. But he knew hers.

_Lady Elaine._

She formed the words silently in her mind, reliving the moment she had heard them coming from his lips. She did not dare say them aloud. Not that and not anything that had happened at the cave. Who would believe her anyway? Elves? Underground cities? Immortality? People already thought her weird, there was no need for a confirmation.

Her two friends that were kissing at the corner of the couch did not help at all. Those lips… those beautiful lips she longed to kiss! And he had found her beautiful. Yes, that was what he had said. _Êl means 'star' in our language. I swear your beauty shines as bright, lady Elaine._ She repeated the words in her mind and a dreamy smile appeared on her lips.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. _Ooooh, our little El has finally fallen in love again…_ she thought amused and sat down next to her.

"So who is he?"

"Huh?"

"The guy you are thinking about."

Oops. She was caught.

"I have no idea what you are talking about", she said trying to sound persuading.

"Oh."

"Jess, there's no guy, so leave it be."

"El, I know you better than anyone, and…-"

"I said, THERE IS NO GUY!" she snapped angrily and Jessica looked at her, startled.

Elaine sighed. Great, so she was beginning to suffer the "lovesick-puppy's-unreasonable-outbursts", as she called them.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I'm just… I dunno, I feel weird about all that has happened the last days and I'm not being myself. I guess I'll go for a walk at the beach and then home to sleep, ok?"

Jessica nodded sadly. She was withdrawing again.

"Honey, I'm not sure about you going at the beach… You've seen yourself it's dangerous so late at night. I wouldn't go back there if I was you."

"I really need some fresh air, Jess. I'll be fine, don't worry. After what happened, the police send patrols now and then to check. Seriously, I'll be ok." She gave Jessica a weak smile and a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.

"Ok. Be careful. You have your cell phone with you, don't you?"

Elaine nodded and put on her jacket.

"Call me if you need anything. Goodnight."

Elaine hugged her.

"Goodnight." She turned around and looked at the rest of her friends. "Bye guys!"

A chorus of 'goodnight's and 'bye's was heard as Elaine walked out of the bar and started walking towards the beach. She needed some time alone. And away from couples, if possible.

_I can't believe I'm being such a fool! He's an elf for God's sake! An immortal! _

_He's… forever…_

Always the same argument to prevent herself from thinking about him. And it never worked. He was always there, smiling, caressing her cheek as he had that night, holding her in his strong arms and kissing her and then, somewhere there, a rational voice would burst her bubble and say "Wake up, fool! It's a _dream_! Only a dream! He's immortal! Forever does not exist, remember? You must not fall in love again unless you have found your 'Prince'! Or they will leave you alone, just like he did…" And then she would start crying. For no reason. Or that was what she told herself. She didn't want to admit she was in love with a being that belonged to fairytales. She didn't want to admit she was in love with forever. No, it couldn't be real feelings she had. Maybe physical attraction… but lo…-?

She shook her head. _No. That word does not exist for me anymore!_

After all, she had only seen him for a few minutes. How was it possible to fall in love with someone so quickly? She was being ridiculous. Curse her vulnerable nature! She believed everything so easily. But she was determined not to do the same this time. It was just an infatuation. Or maybe not even that. Maybe it was…

_Oh, damn it! Forget about it! _

She reached the end of the beach and sat down on the soft sand. She risked a glance over to the bushes and was actually expecting to find someone there, but she was alone. Disappointment filled her. What did she expect? An immortal elf prince running after an immature, insignificant girl like her? A thought popped up in her mind and made her stomach clench painfully. Just how many lovers had he had? How many women had the chance to kiss that angel? Feel his touch? Taste his skin?

"What troubles your heart, lady Elaine?"

**Oops. Cliffhanger. /evil grin/ Who could that be...? Let's see who will make the right guess!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry to tell you that nobody guessed right... :oP It was a welcome surprise, however, since it probably means that my story is not _that_ predictable... (oh my, narcissist crisis, beware!) I'm just kidding, of course... Thank you so much for your reviews and many thanks to my BETA Ivy!

_italics: thoughts_

**

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**Chapter 7**

Elaine jumped at the sound of the soft melodic voice behind her and turned around abruptly. Her heart began its wild race at the sight and she pushed herself up to run away.

"I will not hurt you, my lady. The Prince has given us strict orders that we let you free." Adanoth said to calm the girl down and smiled when he saw her relax and sit back down.

He sat down next to her and looked at the sea. He had hoped he would find her. He needed to make her come back. Even just for one visit. Then "things would evolve naturally", as the Lady had put it. And apart from that, Legolas was a good friend of his and it pained his heart to see him so sad. Since Elaine had left, he had locked himself in his study, coming out only to attend important meetings and assume his duties as a Prince. Then the Marchwarden of Lórien had paid Adanoth an unexpected visit to deliver a message from his Lady that requested his presence in the Golden Wood.

He had been alarmed. Rarely did the Lady of Light send Haldir as a messenger, unless there were important matters. And he did not tell him a word on what it was about, until they had reached the Golden Wood, which had been rebuilt in Lim Aear. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had chosen to rebuilt Lothlórien at the east side of the lake, away from the city, but the communication between the two kingdoms was frequent and in good spirits.

The Lady had summoned him for a private talk. "I have looked into my mirror", she had said. "You need to make her come back, Adanoth. You know of whom I speak. It is destiny that brought them together. She needs to set him free and he will free her in turn. We cannot go against it, or Lim Aear will have to find another Prince." Adanoth had flinched at the hidden meaning behind her words. What role could that mortal girl play in the Prince's life? Was Legolas destined to die? Could she be his other half and savior? But she was mortal! He sighed thinking of the cruel game the Valar were playing to his friend.

Elaine was tense. She looked over at the black haired elf. How old could he be? He looked not more than 25. She had never noticed him coming. He had made no sound and he seemed to melt with the shadows. When she had first turned around to look at him, she had barely been able to see who he was… But when he stepped under the moonlight, she thought she recognized the lean figure. His words had confirmed her guess and they calmed her down considerably. She was not scared of him anymore. He had stated clearly they were not chasing her. He looked as gentle as the Prince, but he still made her uncomfortable. He was not human, after all! She cleared her throat to gain his attention.

He turned and looked at her smiling. She was indeed beautiful. Magnificent sparkling green eyes, long, thick eyelashes, golden skin and full lips. No wonder the Prince had fallen for her so quickly.

"I had been looking for you, my lady."

"Please call me Elaine… or El... whatever you wish, but not 'my lady'. I am not worthy of such a title."

Adanoth raised an eyebrow.

"You speak low of yourself, Elaine.THIS is what you are not worthy of."

She shrugged and mumbled "Whatever". She wouldn't be able to make him understand anyway.

"Why were you looking for me?"

"My reason involves the Prince."

Elaine's heart jumped at the mention of him and her eyes lit up. She tried to look nonchalant.

"What about him?"

"He was extremely saddened of your departure and has been unwell the past few days."

Adanoth allowed a small, satisfied smile at the sight of her concerned face.

"What do you mean unwell?"

"Well, he has locked himself in his study and wears himself off by not eating and sleeping…-"

"Why…?"

Elaine cut him off. Could it be because of her? But that was impossible! _Stop dreaming, El!_

"Maybe you should come and ask him yourself, Lady Elaine."

Adanoth congratulated himself for choosing the right thing to say and watched the inner struggle of the girl. She _did_ have feelings for the Prince. So, the Lady had been right.

"I assure you that you are free to come and leave whenever you want. Nobody will keep you in Lim Aear against your will. As a matter of fact, I am here to accompany you to the palace myself."

"Does the Prince know?"

Adanoth grinned.

"Let us say that we never talked… it is all a surprise…" _And this way Legolas won't have my head for 'conspiring' behind his back with the Lady…_ Adanoth thought not at all amused at the idea.

* * *

It's a small chapter, but that means I will update sooner... ;o) 


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** I told you I would update sooner! Thank you once more for your reviews!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**Chapter 8**

Legolas was still sitting in his study, gazing at the fire in front of him. Burning. That's what he felt like. Burning in his stomach, his heart, his mind, his soul… He covered his face with his hands. Why did he have to suffer so? She was just a human girl, nothing special for an elf Prince like him. Why did his heart beat faster at the thought of her? Why did his whole being feel as if on fire at the mere image of her? He needed to see her again, be close to her, hold her… He would never let her go again, even if that meant keeping her in Lim Aear by force.

He shook his head and got up. _What am I thinking…_ He could never keep her there without her will. Elves did not do that. Though, he wasn't sure anymore. Elves had to alter their beliefs and virtues in order to ensure their existence. He had killed mortals who had broken into Lim Aear. He suddenly felt a deep disgust for himself. Had he become a murderer? He knew he was no innocent. He was a warrior who had killed hundreds of Orcs and wild men. After all, he had been a member of the Fellowship. But now it was different. He smiled sadly at the memory of his dear friends Aragorn and Gimli. He missed them terribly. How would he love to hear their counsel now…

A knock on the door prevented him from questioning actions he had not given attention to before.

"Minno", he said having his back towards the door. /Enter/

"My lord, you have visitors." Adanoth's voice was heard from behind. His speaking in the common tongue confused Legolas.

"I said I don't want any vis…-"

He could not continue his sentence when he turned around and saw who was standing at the door with Adanoth. For a second he thought that his mind was playing a cruel game on him. But then again, an illusion would never be as beautiful as the woman before him.

Adanoth gently pushed Elaine forward sensing her discomfort and shyness and, bowing low, he left the room closing the door behind him, smiling satisfied. His work there was done.

Elaine could not move. The light from the fire burning in the fireplace created a halo around his golden hair and made his skin glow. _Yes, that must be what an angel looks like._ And what in the world was a mere girl like her doing in the same room with that gorgeous otherworldly being?

"Maybe I should go…" she said in a low voice and turned around to leave. Suddenly a strong hand caught her own and made her turn around.

"Please stay."

She found herself inches away from him and looking in his eyes. His request was made so softly, that she could not bring herself to refuse. Truth be told, she did not want to leave. But the little voice in her mind kept reminding her that she did not belong with him.

Legolas could not believe that she was standing so close to him at last. He was still holding her hand, enjoying her warm touch. He noticed her cheeks were flushed, making her even sweeter in his eyes. His eyes were drawn to her lips. They were slightly parted, inviting him to taste them…

Elaine felt his other hand travel up her arm and draw her closer to him. The alarm in her mind set off and she looked away from him, taking a step back in order to distance herself. Legolas suddenly came out of his daze and looked away.

"My apologies. I did not mean to offend you, my lady," he said lowering his gaze.

"It's Elaine. And no offense was taken," she replied smiling and Legolas sighed in relief.

She was suddenly feeling her confidence coming back. She realized the Prince was feeling as uncomfortable as she was, which she found encouraging, knowing he was immortal and must have been experienced with women. He led her in front of the fireplace and two velvet couches. She sat down carefully as if not to stain the couch and looked around. The room was more than beautiful. Earthy colors covered the furniture, which had elegant carvings, just like the ones she had seen on the rocky entrance. One of the walls was covered by books and the other had a very big portrait of someone who looked very much like the Prince. Elaine couldn't say whether it was his father or his brother… or maybe his son, since the young-looking face could not betray its true age.

She noticed a shadow above her and looked up to see the Prince holding a glass of wine for her.

"Thank you." She said and took the glass gently avoiding coming in contact with his hand, knowing it could cause another wave of dizziness to her senses. She could not fall in love with him. _It's just a game. A game_, she kept reminding herself.

Legolas smiled and sat down at the other couch across her, keeping his distance to make up for his previous hastiness. That was why he decided he would not ask her yet. Although he was dying to find out why, he would not ask. Instead, he focused his attention somewhere else.

"It's my father." He said nodding towards the portrait on the wall, having noticed her looking at it. "King Thranduil of Mirkwood, or Eryn Lasgalen, as it was renamed."

"Oh."

She had no idea what he was talking about, but she loved the way he talked.

I will not ask her. Not yet. Not now. I will not…-

"Why did you come back?"

He couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. He was so confused… She had run away after all, had she not?

"I… um…" _A surprise. Adanoth made it clear._ "I just wanted to see you."

She bit her lip. It wasn't exactly a lie. No, actually it was far from a lie. She _did_ want to see him.

Legolas was taken aback by surprise. It surely was what he _wanted_ to hear, but not what he had _expected_. The pain in his heart suddenly faded. So there was still hope.

"I am glad you came. I wished to see you too. We did not have the chance to talk last time."

Elaine felt a big weight lift from her heart. So she hadn't misunderstood him. She looked down at her clothes and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She was not dressed properly to meet a Prince. And judging from the way the female elves she had seen on her way to the palace dressed and the looks she had received, she was probably considered an immoral woman.

"I have to apologize for my improper attire, I did not plan to visit you tonight, your Highness. I was out with my friends and…-"

"Legolas. My name is Legolas. And I have seen women dressed like this before. We are not totally alienated from the upper world, Elaine. I do not think you immoral."

Her jaw dropped open. Exactly her thought.

"Do you people read minds too?"

Legolas laughed. She could not help but smile at the sound. It was so beautiful and natural.

"By no means, no! Only Lady Galadriel has this ability. I am a common elf!"

"A common elf? You are a Prince, your high…-"

"Legolas, Elaine. Legolas."

"Legolas."

She formed carefully the word and smiled. She loved the sound of it. Legolas' heart stopped at the sound of his name coming from her lips.

"Does it mean anything?"

"All Elven names mean something. My name means 'Greenleaf'."

She couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I am most certain you find it a funny name…" Legolas tried to sound hurt.

"No, no!" She managed to say while trying to suppress wild giggles.

She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm, her laughter dying away. Legolas froze looking in her eyes.

"I think it's a beautiful name." She said and looked away, pulling back her hand, when she realized her action. Legolas stopped her and held her hand in his own.

"I remembered you." He said, still looking in her eyes, making them settle their gaze back in his silvery-blue ones. "When I saw you at the beach that night."

Elaine raised an eyebrow confused.

"I had seen you many times when you were a child. I had first noticed you then because you seemed to acknowledge our presence… but mostly because of your eyes. They reminded me of my beloved forest, the one I had to leave behind." Elaine noticed the sadness in his eyes. "So when I saw you at the beach, I knew who you were. Such a beautiful woman you have become, Elaine."

She felt the heat rise on her face and kept staring into the two blue oceans that were calling for her.

"I saw you…. your people. Late at night at the beach, when I was younger. But I thought that I was dreaming. That the old man was just crazy."

It was Legolas' turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Mithrandir?"

"I don't know his name. I can barely remember him, it was so long ago…"

She was drowning in a silvery blue sea. He was drowning in a deep, green forest. Elaine realized she was leaning in towards him. _He's an elf, El. An elf. And you are not in love_, she reminded herself and leaned back at the couch.

Legolas let her hand down. The moment had ended. He could not risk staying close to her for longer, or he would not be able to control himself. _So much for the warrior's discipline_, he mused. Elaine realized she was still staring at him and dropped her gaze to the floor. Despite the uncomfortable moment, she had started feeling more at ease with him.

"Are you really immortal?"

_Does forever truly exist? I believed in eternity once. I believed in eternal love. But it proved to be false. An empty promise of something that did not exist. My forever died. Can you please make me believe in it again?_

That's what she wanted to say. That's what she never said.

Legolas nodded. He knew she would ask sooner or later. All mortals did. And he knew her next question even before she had even thought of it.

"It seems so weird to me…" Elaine shook her head. "Just how old are you?"

"I have seen some thousands of winters…" he sighed.

She looked at him wide-eyed.

"And I thought my childhood was long ago…"

Legolas laughed. "Indeed."

"Do you remember your childhood?"

Legolas looked thoughtful for a minute, looking somewhere past her, as if searching for something. Suddenly he smiled.

"Yes… yes, of course. It was truly so long ago… even for an elf…"

He sighed as vivid memories of gold and green filled his mind and he began recounting them to Elaine.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:** Your reviews are so wonderful that I just HAD to update LOL! I know it's a small chapter but I'm studying for my exams, so... Ok, you're right. That's not an excuse. :-P

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**Chapter 9 **

****

"So there are two Elven kingdoms right now."

Legolas nodded.Elaine had just been given a brief history of the Elves for the last few hours. She had not felt the tiniest hint of boredom, not even for a second. Legolas' voice and eyes were colored by each memory differently and awoke her imagination to create the scenes in her mind. What magnificent creatures the elves were! And how much had the Prince endured! She had suddenly realized he was truly some thousands years old, even if his appearance did not say so. And that War of the Ring seemed to have affected him the most. A traumatizing experience indeed.

_And people nowadays take everything for granted!_ she thought sadly.

The loss of his friends was also something that had brought sadness to his eyes. He spoke so fondly of that Aragorn and Gimli, they must have been close friends. It must have been very painful to see them grow old and fade away, while he remained unaffected by time.

She shook her head to send away painful memories. _No, not now… Please…_ It was no time for tears and guilt. She could not share her greatest pain with no one. She was punished to suffer it alone. A just punishment according to her judgment, for what she had done.

Legolas looked concerned at the pained expression on her face. Something was wrong.

"El, are you alright?"

The sound of Legolas' voice brought her back to the present. Despite the previous rush of sadness, she smiled heartedly when she heard her beloved Prince call her by her nickname.

"Yes, I'm fine." Absentmindedly she looked at her watch: 4:20 in the morning. "A little tired I guess, it's a bit late. I hope I do not keep you from sleeping…"

"Sleeping? No, Elves do not need much sleep, lirimaer."

She blinked.

"What did you just say?"

Legolas smiled teasingly.

"Ah, you mean 'lirimaer'! Well, I'm afraid you will have to learn our language and find out for yourself!"

She pouted. Legolas' jaw tensed. Was she doing it on purpose? Being so unbelievably sweet, beautiful, attractive… tempting? For how long would he be able to control his emotions, his body's response to her?

"Is it too late to ask you to show me your weapons? I'm really curious to see them! I mean… I've never seen _real_ weapons from up close!"

Legolas let a sigh of relief at the distraction from his dangerous thoughts and smiled getting up and offering a hand to her. She took it and gently rose from the couch, following Legolas to the door. Once he had shut it behind them, he braced his arm around hers, risking a bit of closeness. Together they walked along the hall and a number of stairs in silence. Now and then, they would come across other elves, who looked at them curiously. Legolas would only nod his greetings and ignore their questioning glances. However, Elaine could not, so she clutched herself at his side, hiding like a terrified animal. Her excitement was what forced her to stay awake, since she was very tired, considering she had not had a peaceful sleep the past few days.

They reached another door and Legolas opened it. He motioned for her to get in the dimly lit room. Her breath was stolen away. It was much more beautiful than the other room! It had a fireplace with a small fire burning too, which Elaine found weird. It was July, though she noticed that the climate down there was slightly different than on the upper world. If it wasn't for her jacket, she was sure she would feel cold.

She continued observing the room. There was a couch, some armchairs here and there, a wooden table, a desk, many selves filled with books… did this room end somewhere? Her eyes fell to a wall covered with bows, knives, swords… She had always had a fascination for martial arts, but she had never seen such weapons in real life. She took a few steps closer to the wall and touched an elegantly craved bow with her fingertips.

"'Tis the Lady's gift for me, during the War of the Ring. A bow of the Galadhrim."

Legolas came up behind her and looked at his weapons proudly.

"Normally they should be hanging on a wall in my study, but I am so emotionally attached to these weapons that I would have them nowhere but my room."

She snapped out of her daze abruptly and turned around surprised.

"This is your room?"

"Aye…"

Legolas looked confused at her reaction.

She turned to look at the rest of the room, to which she had not paid attention before and realized it was indeed a bedroom. _I can't believe I actually ended up in his BEDROOM! _Across the door, there was a balcony overlooking the city and the lake. The view was breathtaking: small lights were twinkling all over the houses and on the lake, a silver path was drawn, but the source of the light, which had created it, could not be seen. She made a mental note to herself to ask Legolas about it later and brought her gaze to her right. There was a door that led to another room. She could not see what was inside, because it was dark. Her gaze traveled further on, to an imposing canopied bed, its silky curtains hanging down seductively, its length covered with pillows and heavy-fabric covers, which looked so soft, that she wanted to dive into their warmth. She had always dreamt of a bed like that, being a hopeless romantic.

"Is this your bed?"

Legolas nodded both amused and transfixed by the girl's fascination.

"Can I… can I see it?" she asked hesitantly, a faint blush covering her cheeks.

"Of course."

Legolas couldn't stop himself from grinning widely. She was a child after all. Elaine slowly approached the bed and touched the covers. Velvet, silk, fur… A bed fit for a beautiful Prince like him. She sat on the bed and brought her face down to one of the pillows, gently rubbing it against her cheek. She closed her eyes and breathed in Legolas' scent on the fabric. How soon had she grown to love his sweet scent… his eyes… his smile… his warmth… She imagined Legolas lying on the bed… sleeping… holding her in his arms… Her hands spread out and sank under the covers, enjoying their softness and coolness. She lied down fully and rested her head on the silky mattress. She could feel a pair of eyes burning into her, but she was too tired to shut them out…

Legolas' smile gradually fell and his heart began a wild race at the sight before him. He had dreamt of that; Elaine spread over his bed, nuzzling the pillows, seductively –yet innocently- stretching and rolling on the sheets… But in his dreams he was with her, holding her close, matching her every move…

Why are you doing this to me, El…? 

The evidence of his arousal made him feel once more uncomfortable in his leggings. The air suddenly grew hot and he had to take a deep breath to cease the tremors that traveled through his body. He rubbed his neck unconsciously and tore his gaze away from her.

After a few seconds, the slow, rhythmic breathing of Elaine made him turn his eyes back to her. Slowly, he approached her, eyebrows drawn together in confusion and realized… she had fallen asleep! He cursed himself inwardly for tiring her with his storytelling and gently took her sandals off. Carefully, he picked her up, her bare legs dangerously coming in contact with his arm, and pulled the covers up. He placed her gently in the middle of the bed and brought the covers back up to keep her warm from the chilly breeze that came through the balcony doors. He hoped the fire would keep her warm.

He looked at her sleeping form. Her long thick eyelashes were peacefully lying on her golden skin and her lips were slightly parted; her hair was spread all over the pillow and around her head, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with every breath she took. Such a beautiful sight she was! Lightly illuminated by the fire's glow, this mortal truly looked like a goddess to him.

A shaking hand was brought to her hair and sank in its depths. Legolas closed his eyes while his fingers felt the silky texture of her strangely colored tresses, increasing his curiosity about the mysterious nature of that young woman. His fingers traveled up from her bare arm, to her shoulder, neck and cheek. He had never met a mortal with such soft skin and hair. Could this woman be a half-elf?

His thoughts were interrupted when Elaine unconsciously leaned into his touch. His leggings were constraining him almost painfully. His fingers, now moving completely out of his emotions, since reason had left him long ago, traced her full lower lip, eliciting a faint moan from Elaine. A violent shudder shook his body. He couldn't take it anymore. He finally leaned in to taste her.

Just as he was about to touch her lips, Elaine turned away again in her sleep. He suddenly opened his eyes, realizing what he was doing. Reality hit him like a bucket full of cold water and he got up, hurrying to the door. What was happening to him? Where was the discipline and impassiveness he was so well known for? Where was the noble member of the Fellowship and Prince of Lim Aear? For thousands of years, he had kept his heart and emotions in control… and now whenever he was around that mortal girl he could not keep a straight thought! That should be love then. The burning feeling at her loss, the uncontrollable rush of emotions at her touch, the peace he felt at her presence… For the first time in his long life he had finally heard love's song.

He opened the door and got out of the room without glancing back. He needed to get away from her, for the sake of his sanity. He needed to think… Collect his emotions and put them in the right order… Ponder on his next actions… Many battles he had won. He would court the lady mercilessly and come out the winner of that one, too.

**Stay tuned for the next chapter... I'm sure you will enjoy it/wink/**


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! Thank you once more for your wonderful reviews! I decided to post 2 chapters since I've started some SERIOUS studying for my exams and I won't be able to update for some time... I hope you will enjoy them!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**Chapter 10**

****

The sweet scent of flowers filled her nostrils and the gentle breeze caressed her face. She stretched, smiling. Never had her bed been so soft and comfortable. Her ears welcomed the singing of the birds that were calling for her to wake up.

"Okay, I'm up…!" she mumbled in a groggy voice and lazily opened her eyes.

She did not have a bed with a canopy. Or a fireplace. Or a wall full of weapons.

She sat up abruptly and looked around her terrified. Her mind started registering where she was as the events of the previous night rolled before her eyes like a movie. She moaned in dismay and covered her face with her hands. She had fallen asleep in Lim Aear! In the Prince's room, no less! How could she be such an idiot! Sleeping in a stranger's room?

_Thank God Legolas is not some perverted psycho-killer! But then again… you can never be sure!_

Elaine pulled the covers back and stepped on the brown fur on the floor. She walked barefoot to the balcony and looked below. The streets of the city were full of elves, females in beautiful gowns and handsome males walking, chatting, laughing… Living a normal life.

_An endless one._

She tried to look at the top of the cave, but the bright light made her squint her eyes and look away.

_Where in the world is this light coming from?_

It was shining as bright as the sun! What a strange place Lim Aear was!

"Good morning, Lady Elaine. I trust you slept well?"

She turned around startled and her gaze met with a female elf who was smiling at her. She had never heard her come in! The elf set down the tray with the food she held on a table gracefully and approached her. She was as tall as she was and…

_Wow… She's BEAUTIFUL._

"My name is Belwen", the elf continued when she saw that the girl would not answer. "Prince Legolas has asked me to bring your breakfast and accompany you for the time being, since he had some pressing matters to attend to this morning." She took Elaine's hand and lead her to a chair in front of the table. "Please, take a seat."

Elaine was still speechless. She looked at the tray which was full of fruit, freshly baked bread, cheese and wine.

"Would you like something else?"

Elaine looked at Belwen blankly for a second, then blinked and said in a barely audible voice, "No thank you." She always did that when she was embarrassed, as if speaking in a small voice would make her invisible.

Belwen smiled and sat down at the other side of the table. Elaine picked up her fork and started eating hesitantly.

The elf looked at the young mortal opposite of her. She was indeed as beautiful as the rumours had said. And what a strange colour her hair was! She had so many questions to ask her about the 'upper world', but decided to remain silent. She could tell the girl in front of her was very shy and she would only succeed in making her feel more uncomfortably.

"Prince Legolas also requested that I help you bathe" –Elaine almost choked on her food at that- "and bring you clothes to change into."

She got up and disappeared in the room that Elaine could not figure out what it was the previous night. She now figured it should be the bathroom. She put a little more food in her stomach, all the while thinking how she would get out of that mess. A dream, yes. But a dream in which she did not fit in.

Belwen appeared at the door a few minutes later. "Your bath is ready. I also brought a dress for you, while you were sleeping. I know it does not suit the way you dress in the upper world, but it will do until your clothes are clean. I hope it's to your liking."

She picked up the dress which was carefully laid on a chair and held it up for her to see. Elaine was speechless. She thought her graduation white dress was beautiful, but that one was just… amazing. She was not used to being pampered like that. She realized Belwen waited for her approval.

"Um… thank you. It's very beautiful. Although… I was thinking I should just go home. You have done so much for me already…"

She played with the hem of her T-shirt and looked down her cheeks flushing. Belwen put down the dress. She was very sweet, indeed. And very well-mannered as far as she could tell.

"Nonsense my lady! It's the least we can do for your lovely company! Come, before the water gets cold!"

Elaine sighed and got up to follow Belwen to the door. Once inside the room, she stood awe-struck at the sight. The room was covered with deep green marble. On the walls there were several selves with small bottles, towels, brushes and other objects for grooming. There was a large basin with an equally large mirror on top and the biggest tub -no, actually it was a bathing pool- she had seen. She could see the water steaming, covered with rose petals and emanating a sweet scent.

_Yes, that is certainly a Prince's room._

What was she doing there? Who was she to use it? She felt the cold grip of panic and turned around.

"I… I don't think… I have to go."

Belwen's hand stopped her.

"Why do you keep running away?"

_Bull's eye._ Now that was a question worth pondering at. Why was she running away? Why didn't she face her problems? Why didn't she let herself free? When would she pull down the walls she had built around her? What if he was the 'Prince' she had been waiting for and she lost her chance to love forever? Why didn't she believe it possible?

"I am no one", she said more to herself than to Belwen.

_I am no one._

It echoed in her mind and engraved itself in her memory. The last time she felt she was important, it had been fatal. Belwen's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"How can you say you are no one when you make the most beloved elf's heart sing and his joy brighten the whole kingdom?"

_No, no, no. Don't let yourself hope Elaine. It's just a game. Don't fall for it so easily again, you promised._

One part of her wanted desperately to believe that Legolas was her 'Prince'. But the other part could not let her hope. She didn't want to get hurt again. She had to protect herself and keep a distance. But how can anyone control their heart?

"Don't deny what you already know, lady Elaine. For many years our Prince has devoted his life to us, to his people. He was very lonely and such a gentle being as his Highness does not deserve loneliness. Then you came brightening his heart and now the whole kingdom shines as bright as his love for you. Do not leave us again, my lady. We truly love our Prince and the few past days were as painful to us as they were to him."

Elaine stood for a moment speechless. She had never encountered such devotion to anyone. Legolas was loved so much by his people. She didn't wonder why. The previous night had been enough proof. Just a few hours and she had already missed his mesmerizing voice, his gentle eyes and his heart-breaking smile. How could his people not love him when he had put their needs above all else?

"You use such strong words so easily, Belwen. How can you talk about love between two people who have just met?"

Belwen almost winced at the bitterness of her voice. "We are elves, my lady. Our soul recognizes our other half the moment we see it."

She stubbornly refused to believe any of her words. It was too much. Too good to be true. Tears formed in her eyes and they slowly slid down her cheeks. Belwen raised her head with a slender hand under her chin to find so much hurt and pain in her eyes, that it stole her breath. How could anyone so young suffer so much pain? She was only a young girl!

"He cannot love me…" Elaine said in a weak voice. "He is a Prince and I am someone who is not worth to even be looked upon after what I have done…"

Belwen furrowed her brows in confusion.

"You cannot have done anything so terrible to be worth the words you just uttered, child. Do not look for importance in a title. I had to just look into your heart and I could see that such a heart certainly deserves to be loved by our fair Prince."

"This is nonsense, Belwen!" Elaine laughed in frustration and shook her head. "He is immortal, I am mortal. I cannot be his other half!"

"Do not question fate, my lady. Just meet it."

Elaine froze. She had heard those words before. And it freaked her out to realize that.

"Now I think it is time for your bath…"

She was glad for Belwen's persistence. Maybe she needed that bath after all.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** The long chapter I promised... /wink/ Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**Chapter 11**

****

Elaine looked at the mirror wide eyed. Where was the girl with the worn, faded jeans, T-shirts and messy ponytails? In front of her stood a beautiful woman in a long white dress, he hair falling in all its glory. Strangely enough, she didn't feel as uncomfortable as she had expected she would. Actually, it was so much fun to dress up like that. Even as a child, she used to wear her mother's dresses and pretend to be a princess. She twirled around and laughed at her foolishness.

Belwen wore a victorious smile on her lips at the transformation. The immortal marveled at her darkened by the sun skin's contrast with the white gown and the strangely colored hair. "Highlights", Elaine had said. Golden skin, silky hair, bright green eyes and a pure heart. Yes, she was her friend's soul mate.

Belwen was not a simple servant. She was a lady of the court and a good friend of Legolas and had been kindly requested to take care of Elaine and make her feel comfortable. And that she had done. She had answered to every question of Elaine, mainly concerning her behavior in the Palace. She understood it must have been shocking to see people bow to each other, coming from a world where respect was slowly fading.

Elaine had answered to the numerous questions of Belwen in return. Belwen did not risk going to the upper world, therefore had heard and seen only what Mithrandir had been able to bring back with him from his travels all around the world. And how had Elaine laughed when Belwen dropped the towels she was carrying and spat out a very un-elf-like "What?" upon hearing her stating very naturally that she was smoking!

"Would you like to see the gardens of the Palace?"

Elaine nodded delighted at the prospect of visiting the beautiful view she had seen from the Prince's balcony.

Elves were staring at her, not believing she was the girl they had seen the previous night, hardly dressed, clutching at the Prince's side looking around terrified. The lady in front of them was shining as the brightest star, her eyes twinkling, her lips breaking every so often in a wide smile, revealing a straight set of pearls. They couldn't help but smile back at her and so the elves all over the city were talking about the Princess of Lim Aear, who had found her way home.

"These are the gardens of the Palace," Belwen whispered and led Elaine through a rose-covered gate. Elaine blinked once, twice, thrice, in case she was dreaming.

_That's not a garden. That's a whole park. A forest maybe. But certainly not a garden!_

She closed her eyes. Too many scents to remember. Too many sensations to recall. That was not a garden. It was Heaven.

"I am afraid I will leave you to explore on your own. My duties call me. I trust you will be alright?"

"Yes. Thank you for everything Belwen."

"You are most welcome, my lady."

Belwen did a small curtsey and walked gracefully towards the palace. Elaine turned once more towards the gardens and started walking through the trees and flowers, every now and then stopping to touch and smell a flower she had never seen before. She kept walking until she realised she didn't know where she was. All around her were just trees and the paths were crossed.

_Great. Just great._

Where had she come from? She sighed and pouted confused.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

The voice behind her made her jump. She turned around to find Legolas looking at her amused, failing miserable to look offended as he had originally planned.

"I was just… taking a stroll in the gardens… I am lost… I guess…"

Her voice trailed, being overpowered by the fast beating of her heart. Just his presence made the butterflies in her stomach dance wildly. He was leaning casually against a tree, arms crossed, the corners of his mouth curving upwards in a small smile, eyes holding an ever-so-deadly gaze.

"Aye, I noticed. You are not in the palace's gardens anymore, Elaine. You took the path that leads towards the Gate."

"Oh."

Legolas' gaze traveled from her top to her bottom. She looked magnificent. Belwen had transformed a young girl into a fully grown woman. The instant reaction in his loins reminded him to take his eyes off her. He had spent a whole night trying to calm his feelings and body's reaction to her. She had no idea what she did to him.

"So, you've been following me," she said putting her hands on her waist and adopting a haughty attitude.

"Aye."

He took a step closer to her.

"And you let me get lost."

"Aye."

Another step.

"May I inquire why?"

He was now standing in front of her. The wickedness in his eyes and smile revealed nothing of a wise immortal. He looked more like a man her age.

"You are a sight to behold, my lady, wandering around among flowers as beautiful as yourself."

His voice was low. Dangerously low. She blushed and turned away.

"Come, let me show you something."

He took her hand and started walking through the trees. She could see familiar trees and realized they were heading back to the palace gardens, when suddenly, he lead her through a hidden path to a weeping willow. Putting the branches aside for her to pass, he led her in the arms of the tree, the soft grass beneath her colored with small flowers, the rays of light playing through the branches. She knew this would be her favorite place in Lim Aear.

"This is my favorite spot" Legolas said softly, as if voicing her thoughts. "I come here when I seek some respite from my duties. Sit down, I will be right back."

He disappeared through the branches and she sat down carefully, spreading her dress trying not to wrinkle it. Moments later, Legolas came back hiding something in his hands, a wide smile on his face.

_Damn your dimples, elf!_ Elaine thought and sighed. Dimples were just her undoing.

He approached her and sat across from her.

"Give me your hands", he instructed softly.

"Why?" she asked smiling excitedly.

"You'll see."

Elaine giggled, anticipation running through her in waves. She could not understand how or why he made her feel like that with so simple things. Legolas place his hands carefully over her open palms. She felt something warm and fuzzy nuzzle her palms and tried to peek between his fingers. Legolas removed his hands slowly. Elaine's eyes got wide at the tiny, fuzzy white rabbit in her palms. Legolas' heart filled with joy when he saw her smile widely. He knew this would please her. And he wanted nothing more than that.

"Oh my God… It's so tiny and soft… Where did you find this?" she asked, placing the baby rabbit on her lap and caressing its soft fur.

"Well, I told him there is a beautiful fairy in the gardens and he was very eager to meet you."

Elaine laughed and brought the rabbit to her cheek, nuzzling it against her. It was so cute and Legolas was so sweet to surprise her like that.

"So, it's a he?"

"Aye. You have a unique way of attracting males of all species my lady," he said pointedly and she laughed blushing. He then realized that he wouldn't mind if making her laugh was his sole purpose in life.

"I'm sorry about yesterday… I was very tired," she said blushing even more. "And you have a really nice bed… Very soft…"

The statement was made totally out of innocence and was meant to be taken literally; but it made Legolas' smile fade, a shaky breath trying to erase the images forming in his mind.

"I mean… I um… I didn't mean that…" she tried to explain herself but sighed defeated.

_Trust me to make such stupid comments_, she thought and looked down. She dared a peek at Legolas only to meet his intense blue gaze. She didn't look away this time. She would not run away. She would act upon her feelings and not care about complicated matters.

Legolas' mind had shut down completely. His emotions slowly pushed him forward and without second thought, he touched his lips to Elaine's in a gentle kiss.

Elaine pulled back startled, realizing what had just happened. Legolas' eyes were filled with confusion. Darkened with longing… passion.

_Evil, evil dimples. You've done your work._

She leaned in again and Legolas met her halfway, capturing her lips in a deep kiss, bringing one hand on her cheek and the other around her waist, pulling her in his arms. None of them noticed the white rabbit running away and disappearing into the woods.

His tongue pushed past her lips to taste her. Elaine felt as if she were in the middle of the usual drinking contest with her friends. She had never gotten so dizzy when kissing someone and she had certainly done much more than that. All she could feel was his lips on her own, his arms holding her. She could no more hear the birds singing, smell the sweet fragrance of the flowers, feel the soft breeze. She nibbled on his lower lip playfully, being rewarded by a faint moan from Legolas, who was running his fingers down her neck to her collarbone.

His senses were overwhelmed with her. He had kissed many maidens in his long life, but none of them had shed him of all reason and made him so aroused by simply their presence. He pulled away to look into her eyes. She held his face in her hands and looked at him through lowered lashes. He wanted to see the burning in her eyes, to assure himself that she felt the same. She pulled in to kiss him again and he brought her even closer to him, holding her tightly against him. They kissed again, lips and tongues engaged in a feverish dance, her hands roaming over his broad shoulders, his own sank in her long tresses. Her hand found its way up to his neck and her fingers glided ever so lightly over a pointed ear.

That was all it took him to lose all conrtol. A moan escaping his lips, he lowered her to the ground, covering her upper body with his, kissing her with all the passion she had awakened inside him. Elaine enjoyed the feeling of helplessness under his weight. She had always been one to leave the man in control.

His hand slid from her neck to her collarbone once more and when it continued further on, Elaine was brought back abruptly to reality. Legolas felt her tense under him and pulled away, looking into her eyes blankly for a few seconds. The fog of lust cleared and he realized he had been lying on top of her, kissing her, his hand just above her right breast. They had to stop.

They both sat up at the same time, not breaking their gaze. Their lips were swollen and they were both breathing hard.

"I have to go home. My parents will get worried if I keep not answering the phone."

He nodded and looked away. His stomach contracted painfully at the word 'home'. He pulled her up gently, bringing their faces inches apart. He was afraid to let her go. She could see it in his eyes. She leaned in, giving him a gentle kiss of reassurance on his lips.

"I will be back. I promise."

"The Lady wishes to meet you. I have to go for a few days at the Golden Wood and she sent a message that I should bring you along. That is, if you wish, of course."

He felt silly for being so jittery while waiting for her answer. He was not a little elfling anymore. The butterflies in her stomach would not cease, but the stoic mask he was used to wearing on his face hid effectively all that from Elaine. It was still very unsettling to realize the power she held over him, though. And he was not used to depending on another person so much.

Elaine considered his invitation. He had told her so much about Lady Galadriel and the beauty of the Golden Wood, that she just couldn't miss the chance to see it in real life.

"I would love to," she finally said, "but first I have to call my parents and let them know I'll be away somewhere for a few days… I'll think of something…" she said tapping a finger on her chin.

Legolas' heart fluttered at her words. He wanted to take her in her arms and kiss her again until they were both breathless. Instead, he gave her a nod and a small smile and produced his arm to lead her back to the Palace. Elaine smiled and entwined her arm with his. She cared about nothing anymore. All her troubles, objections and problems seemed so far away. There was only Legolas and her. And it felt right. That's all that mattered to her.

**Please let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** I decided to take a break from studying before I go completely mad and post the next chapter! I would like to thank you for all your reviews! You are amazing! A BIG thanks to my BETA **Ivy** for her wonderful job!

There is quite a lot of elvish in this chapter. I am by no means an expert in Sindarin and I've done the best I could with the limited knowledge I possess. I had to reconstruct a verb for 'love' from Quenya instances of the verb that I was able to found, because using the Quenya form when my elves speak Sindarin did not bode well with the linguist inside me... :-P So anyway, you are most welcome to supply your corrections if you find any mistakes!

P.S.: It's been some time now that headers won't work. Sorry... :-/

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**Chapter 12**

Five days passed in a haze for Elaine, between making arrangements and secret meetings with her Prince; walks by the lake, stolen kisses, fleeting touches… She called her mother to let her know she would be away for some days on a trip with her friends and told Jessica she would go back home and stay in the city for a few days, due to unexpected business.

Jessica had raised an eyebrow at the 'unexpected business'.

"Uh-huh."

"What?" Elaine asked sighing.

"Seriously El, do you expect me to believe this crap?"

"Why the hell not?" she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Jess, don't start again, please…"

"What is your big secret that you can't tell me? I'm your best friend…"

Elaine sat on her bed and Jessica kneeled in front of her.

"I am only worried for you… After what happened last year, you've changed so much…"

Elaine gave her a warning glance not to say a word more on the matter. She looked away and started worrying her lower lip. Jessica saw this as a sign that she was thinking about how to start telling her what was going on.

"How do you expect me to be the same, Jess? How could anyone stay unaffected by all this? Things have been going so wrong for me the last year… And now that there is some hope, I…"

Her voice trailed off and she sniffed.

"Stop crying and tell me what's wrong. Crying will not solve your problems," Jessica said in a stern voice and shook her leg to get her attention. So typical of Elaine to start crying to escape from further questions. She wouldn't take pity on her this time.

"I've been so lonely…" Elaine said through sobs.

"I know sweetie, but keeping a distance from anyone who tries to get to know you doesn't really help matters."

"I told you I don't want to get too close to someone only to lose him again!"

"What happened to you was not something you see everyday! Get over it and stop pushing away every guy that wants to get a little closer!"

Jessica pushed herself up and turned towards the window. She looked at the people on the beach and sighed. How could she make her understand? Why was she SO stubborn? She made herself suffer for no reason.

"The only thing that's different between a friend and a boyfriend, is sex. I can have sex and find the rest in my friends. I don't need to get involved with all this romantic bullshit and empty promises", Elaine said dryly and wiped her tears.

Jessica turned around with a shocked look on her face.

"When did you become so cynic? That's not the Elaine I knew!"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, certain circumstances can change your romantic views on love once and for all!"

Jessica looked at her thoughtful for a few seconds.

"No, you haven't changed. You just pretend. And it's fine pretending to me, but pretending to yourself? That's pathetic," Jessica spat out and grabbed her purse to leave.

Elaine groaned and rolled her eyes. That had gone so well. Jessica turned around suddenly and Elained looked up expectantly.

"I will tell everyone what you told me about going home, but make sure you don't get into trouble again. Next time I'm calling your parents."

She got out and walked down the stairs. Elaine heard the shutting of the front door and let herself collapse on the bed, feeling utterly defeated. She was going deeper and deeper in the mess she had created and she didn't know where to go in this never-ending labyrinth. Just when she thought she saw a light in the tunnel, she had messed up again. She sighed and pulled herself up. She looked at her clock. It was time for her meeting with Legolas. Her face brightened and the dimples on her cheeks appeared. The smile on her face did not leave space for worries and troubles. She would think about them later.

"El, what are these?"

Legolas raised an eyebrow at the travel bag on her shoulders and the one laying in front of her.

"My stuff", she answered giving him a look as if he was asking something very odd.

"Stuff…?"

"My things", she explained. "First aid things…", she pointed behind her at the bag on her shoulders, "…clothes and shoes", she finished, kicking at the travel bag on her feet.

He chuckled.

"What?" she looked at him confused.

"'Tis just three days."

"You said five!"

"Yes, two of them will be our traveling."

Elaine looked at him wide-eyed.

"Is it THAT far away?"

"No, but we'll be going on a leisurely pace and I want to show you the beauty of Lim Aear…" he said as he walked closer to her and took her face in his hands.

"Take your 'first aid things' and leave the rest here. We cannot carry so many things with us." He placed his finger on her lips when she opened her mouth to protest. "Belwen has packed some clothes for you. I like you better in gowns. You look splendid."

She didn't say anything. If Legolas said she looked good in gowns, then gowns it would be! Anything to please his eyes. She nodded and smiled, taking a step back to let a servant take the travel bag that was not needed. She turned around and saw Belwen smile amused. She was very happy she would accompany them to their trip. She really enjoyed her company.

Legolas took her hand and walked over to where some horses stood, saddled and ready for them to ride.

_Wait… Ride?_

"We're going on horses?" she asked Legolas, a panicked look on her face.

"Aye", he looked at her confused. Why would that bother her?

She shook her head backing away.

"I'm not getting on that horse."

Legolas suppressed a laugh as he realized his little star was afraid of horses.

"Would you like another one?"

Elaine noticed the amusement in his voice and groaned.

"Legolas, I CAN'T RIDE!"

"And why would that be a problem?"

He just loved to tease her. She was even more fun than Gimli. Her cheeks would take a lovely rosy hue and her eyes would sparkle more than ever, usually accompanied by a pout. She was just adorable when angry or frustrated. In his opinion, of course.

"You will ride with me, do not worry. I will not let you fall.

She sighed realizing she had no other choice. Legolas smiled satisfied and helped her up his horse. Elaine gripped anything she found in front of her for dear life and took a few deep breaths.

_You can do it. You can do it. You can do it._

Legolas handed her bag to one of the elves that would accompany them and jumped effortlessly behind her. Elaine yelped when the horse shifted its weight. Legolas put his arms around her and reached for the reins. Belwen, Adanoth, and the rest of their group also mounted their horses and they began their trip to the Golden Wood.

Elaine found riding not so unpleasant after all. The gentle rocking of the horse was somewhat calming to her and Legolas' arms were holding her tightly. She had leaned her head back on his shoulder and watched in amazement the thick vegetation around them, totally forgetting they were actually underground. Every now and then, Legolas would lean in to smell the scent of her hair, or give her a kiss on her cheek and gently caress her hand. He let them ride in silence to give Elaine the chance to admire the beauty of Lim Aear and only answered to questions she asked him now and then.

After a while, Elaine closed her eyes and relaxed in his embrace. She felt a little sleepy, having spent the previous night with Legolas in Lim Aear. She had asked him about the Elves again, because she found them such a fascinating race. She was very curious about their immortality. She had asked him if they could never die and he had answered they could die in battle or fade from a broken heart. The latter had made Elaine think. If there was this slight chance that Belwen's words were true –because she stubbornly refused to believe them- could Legolas fade away and die when she'd be gone?

_Would I cause another one's death?_

She had to keep a distance. She had to keep it simple. It was just fun, like with all the others. She wouldn't get hurt or hurt anyone again. She wouldn't…

Legolas looked down at the woman in his arms and smiled seeing she had fallen asleep.

"Melach e", Belwen said, moving her horse at his side. /You love her/

"Athar phith. Man cerithan, Belwen?" He asked her, his face suddenly changing into one of sadness. /Beyond words. What will I do, Belwen/

"Man pedich, hîr nín?" Belwen asked, switching into common tongue. /What are you saying (what do you mean), my lord/

"Man cerithan, ae ú-anira cuina cuil thin ah nin?" /What will I do, if she doesn't desire to live her life with me/

Belwen looked in front of her at the ears of her horse thoughtful.

"Anirach LE cuina cuil lin ah e?" /Do YOU desire to live your life with her/

Legolas lowered his eyes. Was he really willing to share his life with this woman and risk dying of grief when she would eventually die? No he was SURE he would fade away when she died. He had never loved anyone like that before. His soul screamed at him that she was his soul-mate. He couldn't imagine life without her now that he had found her. He loved the way she talked, laughed, how she worried her lip when she was thinking, the way she pouted when she was frustrated…

No. He would die whether she agreed to become his wife or not. There would be nothing to live for if she left him again.

And she didn't care about his title. She had told him that she'd rather he wasn't a Prince. But she respected the fact that he was, nonetheless. She never asked for anything. She never accepted compliments and sometimes spoke words unworthy of herself. He frowned. What was the cause of this behavior? The way she held herself was certainly not insecure. Another sigh. Every moment that passed, he realised there was so much to learn about this woman and so little time. And he was determined to spend even a short life finding out about her, loving her and being loved in return, rather than live in misery for eternity, knowing he had let true love slip out of his hands.

Belwen saw her dear friend struggling with his thoughts. She didn't expect him to answer, when his soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I will make her my wife if she agrees. I will spend my life at her side. There is no other I would ever love, Belwen. Death is a small price to pay for the happiness and completeness she gives me."

Belwen smiled sadly. She would lose a good friend. Lim Aear would lose its Prince.

"Legolas, you are a very dear friend to me. Are you certain this is a wise choice?"

"I don't have a choice in this matter, Belwen. My heart has already chosen for me and I cannot go against its wishes."

And Belwen knew she could not go against his wishes either. There was no way someone could change this elf's mind and talk him into walking out of such a challenge.

**Feedback greatly appreciated! ;-)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed, but also all of you who haven't, for taking the time to read my story... You don't know how important this is for me. Anyway, this is an extra long chapter for some extra patience on your part... My exams are over on Monday and it will take me sometime before my life gets back to its normal rhythm, so I don't know when I will update. It could be next week or it could very well be next month. In any case, I decided to leave you a nice, quite interesting chapter to read! ;-)

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**Chapter 13**

Elaine slowly woke up to find out she was laying down. She was not on a horse anymore. She opened her eyes, startled, but closed them again as the bright light of a fire blinded her. A shadow appeared over her and after blinking a few times, she opened her eyes again lazily to find Belwen looking at her smiling.

"You have woken up, finally! I thought you would sleep until we reached Lothlórien!"

She laughed merrily and turned around to shuffle through a bag, taking out something wrapped in flat, green leaves. Elaine pushed herself up, leaning her upper body against a tree trunk. She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her cheek on them smiling a little embarrassed.

"Here, eat some lembas. It is near sunset, you must be hungry."

Elaine took the small piece of what seemed like bread from her hands. She looked at it for a moment trying to figure out what it was.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked Belwen and took a bite hesitantly. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. It was actually very tasty!

"A long time! You didn't even wake up when Prince Legolas got you off the horse and brought you under this tree!"

Elaine blushed at the sound of Belwen's melodic laughter and took another bite of the lembas piece to find out she was actually full. She put it down carefully on the flat leaves and shook any crumbles off her hands.

"Yeah, well... I sleep quite soundly..."

Belwen laughed again but when she noticed Adanoth staring at her from the other side of the camp, she stopped and looked down shyly. Elaine raised an eyebrow at her reaction and bit her lip.

_Oh, this will be fun._

"I think Adanoth was staring at you in THAT way", she said in a whisper to Belwen and suppressed a chuckle at Belwen's mask of indifference.

"I am afraid I do not understand; in what way?"

Elaine slipped her hand under her T-shirt and pretended it was a heart beating. She cocked her head to the side and took a dreamy look on her face. She burst out laughing at Belwen's wide eyes and she could swear the elf's cheeks had turned a bright red. Belwen got up and offered a flask to Elaine.

"Here, have some wine!" she said in a high-pitched voice and fled away.

Elaine's laughter slowly died down and she looked around searching for Legolas. He was nowhere in sight. She shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like being alone among all those elves. Although she had met all who were traveling in their group and had befriended Belwen and Adanoth, she still hadn't got used to the fact that she was in the company of so many immortal beings.

Two large hands covered her eyes and somebody kissed her cheek tenderly. She knew immediately who it was as their scent enveloped her and their warmth made her heart skip a bit.

"My little star is finally awake", Legolas murmured against her hair, breathing in their scent of flowers.

Elaine leaned her head back to look at him standing above her.

"Where did you go?" she asked pouting.

Resisting the urge to nibble on that pink bottom lip, he pulled her up gracefully and started walking away from the clearing they had set camp on towards the woods.

"I'll show you."

Elaine shot him a questioning glance but chose to remain silent and follow him. Legolas, holding her hand, was leading her deep into the forest, passing over fallen tree trunks, helping her through the wild tree roots protruding from the ground. Elaine thought she heard the sound of water in the distance and soon her thoughts were confirmed when the trees started clearing and a small stream appeared. The few remaining rays of light created a magical atmosphere around the small pool formed at the bottom of the waterfall from where the stream had originated. She leaned her head to the side, witnessing the magic of the elves. She hadn't believed Legolas at first when he had asked him about the source of light in Lim Aear. He had simply answered that it was the magic of the elves, but she had dismissed the idea as irrational. Yet walking in the city of Lim Aear and traveling through the thick vegetation of its forest, she realised it was indeed a magical place. After all, they were several feet underground.

She squinted her eyes trying to figure out the faint light behind the waterfall. She looked at Legolas questioningly but he just motioned towards the waterfall.

"This water comes from a river high above on the upper world. It travels through the rocks and springs out from up there." He pointed to the source of the waterfall as they started walking towards the roaring water. "This small stream ends up in the Lake, the Lim Aear. It is fed by several such streams from above."

"It's beautiful", Elaine whispered afraid she would destroy the magical feeling around her by speaking loudly.

Legolas smiled mischievously.

"You have seen nothing yet, ël tithen nín." /my little star/

Elaine smiled hearing her elvish endearment and followed Legolas carefully on the rocks next to the waterfall. Legolas lead her around another rock and pulled some branches from a great weeping willow to the side, revealing a passage behind the waterfall. Elaine stepped in carefully and looked at the small cave forming inside awe-struck: the cave had the size of a small room and was illuminated by the soft light of candles placed strategically; she noticed a basket with food, a bottle of wine and two glasses standing on a hollow in the rocky wall at the far end of the cave, just above a rocky pedestal covered in furs.

Elaine let out the breath she never realised she was holding. She tried to open her mouth but her voice failed her.

_I can't be awake. It is a dream, certainly. Such places cannot exist. _

She snapped out her daze when Legolas embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. She felt tears sting her eyes at the beauty in front of her. It was one of those unexpected moments when you discover beauty amidst an ugly, colourless and tasteless jungle of a world; you are reminded that you're still human and not some wild beast struggling to survive.

"I hope you like it", Legolas said in a whisper and looked at her profile trying to read her reaction.

A small gasp escaped her when her mind registered that Legolas had made all this for her. She turned around in his embrace to face him.

"You did this for me?" she asked wonder filling her voice.

He nodded smiling.

She covered her face with her hands. He shouldn't make her feel so special… She had promised to herself she wouldn't ask for anything again and there he was treating her like a Princess!

"Oh Legolas… You shouldn't… I don't know what to say… I…"

Legolas pulled her hands away from her face and looked at the single tear running on her cheek perplexed. He had thought she would enjoy some time alone with him in that cave. From the little time they had spent together, he had gathered that she loved surprises and thought that having dinner in this beautiful cave would make her happy. But why was she crying?

He raised her chin to make her look in his eyes and looked at her questioningly. She took a deep breath and started worrying her lip.

"You shouldn't have gone through all this trouble for me, Legolas. I'm really not worth it."

He frowned.

"I don't want to hear such words coming from your mouth again. You are worth much more than this", he said nodding to the end of the cave, where the furs and the food stood. The curiosity about why she was speaking low of herself returned, but he decided it was not the time for such discussions. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled.

"Now, let us have some dinner," he said and scooped her up in his arms. Elaine wasn't expecting that and gave a yelp of surprise. Being carried like that, she really felt like the Princess in her fantasies. Legolas placed a giggling Elaine on the furs and sat down next to her, reaching for the basket.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked her, searching through the items in the basket.

"Actually, I'm not really hungry." She said and Legolas looked up at her. "Belwen gave me this lembas thing and I'm so full! And I just took a few bites!" she said laughing.

Legolas joined her.

"'Tis elvish waybread. A few bites are enough to satisfy an adult", he replied putting the basket back on the hollow of the wall. "How about some wine, then?" he asked her reaching for the two glasses and the bottle.

"Sure", she answered smiling and folded her legs under her to sit more comfortably.

Legolas opened the bottle and poured some wine in the glasses. He handed her one of them and raised his own.

"To what should we drink?" he asked faking a serious voice and looked thoughtfully at the red liquid in his glass.

Elaine chuckled. The motto "Beauty, Freedom and Love" popped up in her mind and she bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud.

_Moulin Rouge, prostitutes, bohemian artists and can-can. MY mind is always SO out of place all the time…_

Legolas raised an eyebrow at the amusement painted on her face.

"Let's drink to love!" she said in a mockingly dramatic voice and raised her glass.

Her laughter died when she saw that Legolas wasn't laughing. He wore a look on his face she could not decipher and was looking at her intently.

_Please tell me he's not serious about it…_ she thought and her stomach clenched at the thought of her having mocked his feelings. She loved fooling around, but she would never hurt somebody's feelings. She wasn't that cruel. Especially when it came to Legolas.

"To love", he finally said forcing a small smile on his face and took a sip of his wine. He turned to look at the back of the waterfall and rested his back on the wall behind him. Resting his arm on his bended knee, he started twirling the glass between his fingers. Elaine sat back raising an eyebrow at his sudden change and followed his eyes to the waterfall. The candle light reflected on the liquid curtain and created shadows along the rocky walls. She tried to concentrate on the scenery around her, but she was painfully aware of the elf beside her. His aura seemed to surround her in a warm blanket. She could not avoid his sweet scent, nor the butterflies in her stomach. She was hanging out with men all the time, but she had never felt that unsettled.

_Except for when I fell in love with Justin…_

She flinched at the word 'love' as if it was a forbidden thought. She was being ridiculous. _It must be the wine_, she tried to convince herself, ignoring purposefully the mocking glare of her still full glass.

Legolas was in deep thought. She had used the word 'love' as if it was some joke. He had originally planned to talk to her about his feelings, but … He was so confused. He had the impression she returned his feelings, but her behavior a few minutes before had made him have second thoughts. He was an elf and Elaine was like an open book to him; he could read the emotions in her eyes and he had seen it. He had seen the tiny sparkle in her eyes… Could he be wrong? He was well known for his wise judgement of characters. Maybe he was overreacting. She was a young girl after all, maybe she had no idea of what it was she was feeling.

Legolas turned to face Elaine when he sensed her shudder. He put his am around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Are you cold?"

She wasn't cold, but she didn't want to leave his arms either.

"Yes, a little", she lied and scooted closer to him.

Legolas looked down at her in his arms and almost groaned out loud. It was again one of those uncomfortable circumstances they had found themselves during their meetings the previous days. Legolas' hands were itching to roam over her body and his body was aching to claim her as his. Elaine would then look at him with darkened eyes, mirroring the feelings in his own and they would eventually look away in an uncomfortable silence, until one of them started talking about some unrelated subject. He was never one to lose control over his body. But the innocent look in those eyes and the slightly parted lips, the accidentally exposed shoulder and the twirling of her hair made his manhood throb. He was no fool. He knew she did all this on purpose. He just didn't know for how long he would be able to hold himself.

Elaine closed her eyes. _Stubborn elf!_ She had tried everything on him. Any guy in his place would have fallen for her tricks, but he seemed so unaffected. ALMOST unaffected. She hadn't missed the clenching of his jaw, nor the sharp intake of breath. She had never wanted anyone so much in her life. Feeling his strong arms holding her on the horse was torture; the intense gaze of his blue eyes sprang out fires within her; and the fact that she was resting her cheek on his hard chest at the moment was not helping much either. Her gaze traveled downwards to his groin that was hidden effectively by his tunic. Would it be different than that of humans?

She chided herself mentally for her naughty thoughts and pushed herself away from him. _I'm such a slut sometimes!_ she thought and decided to direct her mind towards more civilized thoughts. She turned to look at Legolas opening her mouth to ask him how much traveling was left but her heart skipped a beat when she saw her previous thoughts mirrored in his eyes.

Legolas saw her eyes darken with passion as her gaze settled on his eyes. He took another sip from the wine and swallowed it slowly, as if trying to swallow his desire with it. But his fingers kept tingling and her lips were drawing him like a magnet. Elves were beyond the physical sensations and pleasures of love, but a young love was still a young love for any race: passionate, sublime, blinding… irresistible. He took the glass from her hand and placed it at the side along with his, without breaking eye contact. He finally leaned in and brushed his lips against her softly, savoring with eyes closed from contentment the taste he had grown to miss so much. He brought his hand to her face, gently caressing her cheek, his tongue seeking entrance through her lips. Elaine brought her hands around his neck and deepened the kiss letting out a sigh of relief, as if she had been deprived of water and was finally given something to ease her thirst. Legolas slowly pushed her down on the furry blankets and crawled on top of her. Elaine's hand shot out to steady herself, only to send the glasses shattering to pieces on the rocks.

She broke the kiss abruptly and turned to look mortified at what she had done, but Legolas' hand brought her face back to look at him.

"Do not mind about the glasses", he told her in a husky voice.

The lust she saw in his eyes made the burning feeling between her legs almost unbearable. He made her mad with want. Her eyes traced his face; he seemed so young to her. But when she reached his eyes, there was no mistaking of his age. She was drawn to their depths and it scared her.

_I am falling for him_, she realised panic filling her stomach, before the feeling was drown away by his lips on hers and the faint moan that escaped her. His lips moved to bite the side of her jaw and continued further down to her neck. He nibbled on the sensitive skin and Elaine closed her eyes in pleasure. She embraced him once more and pulled him closer to her, her breasts brushing against his chest with every breath. Legolas was losing the fight with desire. He was once more lost in her inviting warmth, her teasing caresses and intoxicating smell. He was shivering with need and he had to ease the turmoil in his loins in some way.

Elaine felt him rub against her thigh slowly. The hard bulge between his legs made her open her eyes wide. Just when she thought it wasn't possible to desire someone so much, she was proved wrong. She glided her hands over the braids on his temples and moved them towards his ears. She had once more tried to touch them during the kisses they had shared the previous days mostly out of curiosity, but he had grabbed her hand before she could reach them and told her quite emphatically not to do that again. But this time Legolas' awareness was dulled from the feelings the human girl had evoked inside him and he didn't have time to grab her hands before they glided ever so lightly over his pointed ears.

His reaction was immediate. A muffled moan against her neck and a thrust against her thigh told her that his ears were indeed very sensitive. He brought his head up and rested his forehead on hers.

"I thought I told you not to do that."

His voice was deepened by desire and it sent shivers down her spine. Wordlessly she took his hand from where it rested beside her head and slowly brought it on her neck. Legolas followed the movement with lustful eyes, watching how she glided it over her the side of her torso and under her T-shirt to let it rest on her right breast. He looked up at her hesitantly and she pulled his chin down to kiss him deeply, her tongue caressing his own in the most erotic way.

His hand cupped her breast, his thumb moving over her nipple. But that was as far as he went. He was still hesitating and she couldn't understand why. He wanted her. She wanted him. What was there to think about? She took his hand away and pushed him back on the blanket crawling on top of him. He was surprised to see the sly smile on her face. Her lips traveled from his mouth to his cheek and then slowly found their way to his left ear. She nibbled lightly on the lobe, then traced it with the tip of her tongue to the top, hearing his breathing quickening under her ministrations. She smiled triumphantly against his ear at his reaction and started nibbling at his point. His hold on her waist tightened and she brought her leg on the other side of his body to straddle him.

Legolas felt her moving against him. She threw her head back and bit her lip. Her eyes closed, her mind focused on the feelings produced by the friction against the hard length underneath her. Legolas could feel her warmth through her clothes inviting him to throw her on the floor and take her right there. But the years of discipline as a warrior took the better of him and he had enough control to think that elves did not enter into such relationships so easily. Once they joined, they were bound for eternity. He knew he wanted Elaine as his wife, but Elaine did not know the ways of the elves and he would have to talk to her first.

He gently pushed her off him and got up.

"Forgive me, I cannot do this."

He turned his back to her facing the waterfall. He closed his eyes trying to calm down his aroused state and gather his thoughts.

Elaine sat in the middle of the blanket cross-legged, eyebrows raised in confusion.

_Excuse me?_

The sudden change was so awkward and unexpected, that she didn't know what to think or say. What was that all about? It was usually women who uttered those words, not men! Was there something wrong with Legolas? Was there anything she needed to know? She shook her head to clear her foggy mind and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry… did I do something wrong?"

_Oh my God, this is ridiculous!_

She felt so stupid uttering that question! As if she had forced him into something! The situation was so tragically comic that she wanted to laugh. What couldn't he do? Have sex with her? He was looking ready to ravish her a few minutes ago!

He finally turned around and looked at her. Gone was the lust in his eyes. He actually looked perplexed. Her heart skipped a bit. Was it something serious? He sighed and walking over to her, he kneeled in front of her.

"Nay, you have not. I..." He licked his lips and looked down. "I cannot join with you that simply Elaine. Elves do not do that."

She almost laughed. _Awesome: culture clash._

"Don't worry Legolas, you won't stain my honor!" The irony in her voice hang heavily between them. "It's not like I haven't been with other men before!"

The look on his face made Elaine regret immediately her words. Hurt was evident in his eyes. His jaw tightened and he looked down. Of course he had suspected she was no virgin. But he had still held a small hope she had kept herself untouched for him. However, hearing her say it out loud, was more than disturbing.

_So, she has been touched by other men. Loved by other men. I will not be her first._

It was a painful realization for Legolas. Yet, the realization that he actually envied the man who took her innocence was even more painful. Especially considering the fact that he was an Elven Prince and he was envious of a mortal human. Love had strange effects on people.

Elaine looked at his lowered head and set jaw and felt a sting in her heart.

"…Have you not been… with other women... before…?" she asked hesitantly, although she felt the question was unnecessary. She was so sure he had that his answer almost stopped her heart from beating.

"No, Elaine. I have not."

She quickly found her voice back when she realised he must have been teasing her.

"Yeah right, nice try Legolas!" she said laughing. "Come on, it's between you and me… It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone and ruin your role-model picture as a Prince!"

The look in his eyes when he raised his head stopped her laughter abruptly. He was being serious!

"I don't believe you Legolas", she said in a steady voice, showing him that she was not some stupid girl to trifle with.

"I am telling you the truth", he replied in an even voice.

She chuckled mirthlessly unable to believe he was continuing that sick joke.

"Listen, if you want to persuade me of your nobility and your pure intentions, you should find some other way! This is just ridiculous! Actually, I don't even care about this shit anyway!"

_Jesus. It's just SEX. Just a GAME._

… _right?_

The roll of her eyes at the worlds 'nobility' and 'pure intentions' hit a tricky nerve in Legolas. She got up and took a few steps away, when he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. The lowered brows and the cold look in his eyes made her stomach clench. He looked furious.

"What is so hard to believe Elaine?"

She let an exasperated sigh and looked at him incredulously. He was pushing it too far.

"Do you actually expect me to believe that in these _thousands_ of years that you've lived you have never slept with a woman?"

His grip on her arms tightened and he moved his face inches from her own.

"I have known a elleth's touch, Elaine. A lot of ellyth's touch, if that's what you want to hear. But that's as far as your mortal mind is able to think. I never joined with any of them. You must understand, when an elf joins with someone, they are bound for eternity. If we join, you will be my wife. We cannot do such a thing, unless you are well aware of what you feel for me and what you want."

He released her and took a step back. Elaine stood speechless. For some reason, he sounded very, very serious now. And what he had told her made perfect sense. The wall she had built around her suddenly shattered to pieces. She tried to fit all this new information in her head. Married? By simple love-making? And there she was believing they were just fooling around! Or… was she?

_Stupid, stupid Elaine! You knew it all along!_

Of course she had known. She had seen it in his eyes. But she had tried to ignore it, pretending it was just a game. The words of her best friend echoed in her mind _"You just pretend. And it's fine pretending to me, but pretending to yourself? That's pathetic."_ She had pretended she didn't care, that it was just fooling around again, but she had seen he had fallen in love with her. And she…

_No, no! Don't say that word! You are not in love. YOU ARE NOT IN LOVE!_ she repeated in her mind trying to block away the murmurs of her heart. But avoiding something does not mean that it doesn't exist. Her soul was screaming in protest and there was no wall to keep back the rush of her feelings anymore. It was a safe game as long as his feelings and intentions towards her were not voiced: there was still a doubt and she embraced the version of truth that served her. But now that all was out in the open, the illusion she had created could not stand.

He loved her. And she loved him. The inevitable had happened.

_Love._

_Marriage. _

_Bound. _

_Eternity. _

_Commitment. _

_Pain. _

Words and incoherent thoughts flew in her head. He had told her everything she didn't want to hear. She couldn't love. She couldn't bind herself to anyone. She certainly could not marry. He would leave her too and she would spend the rest of her life trying to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart. And she would not cause his death. She would NOT cause another death! She would never bind herself to anyone again to see them fade away.

_And what will happen when I die? What will he do then? Will he find another wife?_

How foolish was it of her to get involved in such a relationship! How stupid to allow that flicker of a hope that he was the 'Prince' she had been waiting for and they could live 'happily ever after'! She should have known it would only complicate matters! She panicked. She had to get away. Distance herself, then leave him. He was too good for her. She would not hurt him in such a way. And she would not be hurt again either.

Legolas studied the woman before him intently. Was it too soon to speak of that matter? But she had forced him to, he had never intended to let things get so far. Did he choose the wrong words? Elaine looked troubled. Maybe he was too harsh with her. He wished he knew what she was thinking… What if he had scared her away? He knew mortals could not completely comprehend the ways of the elves, but she had to. She had to for his sake, because he would not be able to live without her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know… I…" Her voice trailed off and she was hushed by a finger on her lips. She looked up into his eyes.

"I do not ask anything of you Elaine. I only wished to explain my actions. If you ever decide your feelings towards me, come to me. I'll wait for you forever."

Forever.

It hit her like a bucket full of cold water.

"_You know I will always love you, even if something keeps us apart… I'll wait for you forever. We'll always be together. I will never leave you."_

The words came back to haunt her. They were flashing before her eyes mockingly, reminding her of all the reasons she couldn't believe, she couldn't love, she couldn't live. She shook her head tears filling her eyes.

"Please don't promise forever to me. Please."

Legolas looked at her confused.

"Why not? It is a promise I can keep."

"Stop it!" she screamed and covered her ears to block his words away, falling on her knees on the stony floor. "I cannot believe you Legolas… I cannot trust forever again. I cannot trust your love…" she said in a hardly audible voice, letting the tears fall free on her cheeks.

Legolas was standing still in shock. So that was her secret. As he had thought all along. Who was this someone who had promised her eternal love? And why had he broken his promise? What had happened to hurt her so much?

"Again?" he asked softly approaching the young woman whose body was raked violently by loud sobs. "Why 'again' El?" He pushed her chin up to face him.

Elaine looked away. He should never find out. It was her secret. Her life's torture. Her shame. Her dark, hateful prison. She stood up to leave, but he grabbed her arms. She tried to break free of his grasp, but his hold on her was too tight.

"Elaine look at me. Look at me!"

She was forced to turn her face towards him at his raised voice. It was cold and stern, his eyes a stormy blue mirroring his anger.

"I opened up my heart to you. I have told you everything, offered myself to your will and yet you keep secrets from me. Why don't you answer?"

"I don't have to", she replied in an equally cold voice.

"Who has hurt you?" he pressed on.

"Let me go dammit!" she started squirming again but he held her in place. After trying to break free ineffectively, she just slumped against him defeated and let her tears flow once more.

Legolas loosened his grip and let her slide on the floor. He followed her kneeling in front of her, his heart breaking at the anguish on her face. She probably wasn't ready to tell him and he had pushed her too far. He brought his hand to her cheek. She just pushed it away.

"Leave me alone, Legolas. Please", she said dryly and wiped her tears.

Her gesture hurt him more than any words could. He had not expected things to turn this way between them. A few minutes ago he was the happiest person walking on Earth, and now… So it was as he had thought. He had lost her, because of his hastiness. What in the world had got into him? He was never one to rush things, having an eternity to wait if need be. He was always patient, even more than his fellow elves… Yet with Elaine he felt as if he had no time; he wanted to learn all her secrets that instant, comfort her and make all the pain she had suffered go away, marry her and live with her every single moment that passed by… He had acted completely foolishly and had paid for it dearly. For all his years and wisdom, he had acted like an ignorant elfling. He should have known better. Some Prince he was. His negotiating skills could not even handle a young girl. Could love shed you of all reason like that?

Legolas nodded and offered her his hand.

"Should we go back?"

"Yes", Elaine answered and ignoring his hand, she walked past him to grab the basket and made her way to the other side of the waterfall. Legolas stayed rooted in the same place for a few seconds watching her retreating form from behind the watery wall. He shook his head. He could not tell anymore who was acting more childishly; him or Elaine.


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Well, since I'm staying in tonight, I thought I'd post the next chapter! I cannot thank you enough for your reviews and your support to Lim Aear. It has surpassed by far all my expectations! However, I would like you to bear with me and read the following note, which I think is quite important.

Someone pointed out to me that Elaine is a little 'Mary-Sueish'. I must tell you I don't mind the term, since many 'Mary-Sues' had me at the edge of my sit with excitement or crying like a baby. I don't know whether Elaine is a 'Mary Sue' or not, but I would like to explain a few things about the points that were raised. Please do not see this as an angry reply, it's only my attempt to fill a few gaps my lack of skills as a writer have created.

Elaine has by no means "breath-taking beauty". But she IS beautiful. I would have nothing less for someone like Legolas, but it's mostly the absurdity of a situation that would arise if she was not beautiful yet managed to catch the eye of an elf upon only seeing her and not having the chance to talk with her. Why would Legolas feel the need to risk being discovered if he wasn't attracted to her in some way that night on the beach? Looks are certainly not enough to make someone fall in love with you, but they DO help, especially when you cannot hold a conversation with that someone to see the richness of their inner world or if you need to move the wheels of the plot in a story. /wink/ Moreover, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and anyone in love see the object of their desire as perfect. Why would Legolas be any different? As for Legolas "flirting" with her, first: he is in love with her and second: he is so old and Elaine is just an innocent child in his eyes -I know I would love to tease her if I were in his shoes.

Elaine DOES have flaws. A lot of them. But you never realise the flaws of another from the first days you know them. It takes time and certain circumstances for them to be revealed. And they are painfully obvious in the next chapters. I had believed I had pictured her insecurity and childishness, her tendency for hasty decisions, as well as the fact that she doesn't face her problems but chooses to ignore them evidently enough for you to recognise, but I probably overestimated my skills as a writer.

I left last the "tortured past". I don't know why 'Mary-Sue' writers have the tendency to use a tortured past as a clichee in their stories. But I can assure you that the relationship portrayed in Lim Aear between Legolas and Elaine is as true as it can be. Unfortunately, it is based on a real story, but _fortunately_ it's not my experience. This happened to someone very close to me and I'm glad that she's finally happy. That's what this story is about: it's a story about how love can save two people from destruction: how Legolas can help Elaine overcome her past and how Elaine can save him from a life of loneliness and biterness.

All this said, you can now move to the actual chapter. Please DO leave reviews saying whatever bothers you. It helps me improve. I'm really sorry for the long note, but I felt necessary to explain some things in this way, since my writing is inadequate to pass through what I want to say. Once more, please let me know if there are any mistakes in the elvish phrases used!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 14**

"We are entering the borders of Lothlorien. The Galadhrim should appear any time soon," Adanoth informed Elaine and scanned the trees around him, trying to catch a glimpse of the Golden Wood's wardens. He was an elf, therefore he could feel their presence. But not even an experienced warrior like him could see them when they did not want to be seen.

Belwen looked over at Elaine. Ever since they had come back from camp with Legolas, they had both been silent. Elaine looked very troubled, Legolas looked hurt and they both looked anything but the happy couple they were before they left. Elaine was constantly trying to avoid Legolas and he would gaze at her sadly across the fire. When she had asked them, none of the two told her what had happened, just muttered a quick 'nothing' and changed subject. Elaine had even tried to persuade Adanoth and Belwen to ride on their horse with them, but Legolas had actually ordered her to ride with him in an authoritative voice, no more like a lover, but a Prince. _Something really bad must have happened_, Belwen thought frowning. Legolas was never one to lose his patience and she had witnessed his hurt slowly turning into anger.

Elaine on the other hand seemed lost in her own world. She would just stare emptily to her front and talk only whenever she was asked something. She tensed every time Legolas touched her, yet looked at him with longing and regret when he had his back on her. The battle inside her was plain to see. What bothered her so much? Belwen remembered the hurt she had seen in her eyes that day at the Prince's room, when she had that unreasonable outburst. What was this girl hiding? Was it that secret that had gotten Legolas angry?

"You may go no further," a strong voice commanded and Belwen was brought abruptly out of her thoughts when she realised they were surrounded by about fifteen wardens, their arrows pointed towards them. Legolas smiled for the first time that day and got off his horse. The wardens lowered their bows in respect for the Prince of Lim Aear.

"Mae govannen, Haldir!" he exclaimed and approached the elf who had spoken.

While they greeted each other, the wardens helped the rest of the traveling group dismount. Elaine looked down at the pair of hands which held a strong grip on her waist and brought her effortlessly down to stand before a tall elf with silvery blond hair and an amused expression on his face.

"Mae govannen, Lady Elaine. I am Rúmil", he said in his musical voice and bowed to her.

Elaine stood still in awe. _Is there actually an UGLY elf?_ The beings around her were magnificent! She shifted uncomfortably from one leg to another. She didn't like people bowing to her. She managed to give Rúmil a shy smile and turned around to find herself looking at the chest of someone clad in grey. _Ok, this guy is TALL_, she thought amused. Her eyes traveled over a pair of much broader shoulders than those of Legolas and settled on the elf's face. She barely suppressed her gasp. A pair of grey eyes were piercing through her, like one of the deadly arrows in their quivers. His hair was silvery blond, like the rest of the wardens, but his straight nose and strong jaw matched the aura of superiority and haughtiness he was giving away.

He quirked a dark brow at her staring openly at him and she looked away embarrassed, a red hue spreading on her cheeks.

"Welcome to the Golden Wood, Lady Elaine. Our Lady awaits you. I am the Marchwarden of Lórien. My name is Haldir."

She opened her mouth to speak. Her voice however, had different ideas. She could only gape at him, images of dominant males and sexy, arrogant elves messing up her trail of thought. She shook her head to clear the forbidden pictures. She had just had one of the most serious fights in her life only hours ago and she was actually drooling over the Marchwarden. Had she been so much deprived of feelings lately? Had she really become that thick-skinned? Or was she just trying to find something to distract her heart from being torn to pieces at the sight of the blond elf standing some feet away from her?

"Nice to meet you", she finally said and smiled courteously. Haldir nodded and stepped away, an amused look on her face.

Legolas had been watching Elaine from behind Haldir, his jaw set hard. He never noticed his fists had clenched to an uncomfortable point and that he was actually glaring at them. HIS Elaine should not be looking at him like that. HIS Elaine should have eyes only for him. HIS Elaine…

He stopped his last thought a look of utter horror on his features. Was he… jealous? He? A Prince? One of the Firstborn? Experiencing such ignoble and vile sentiments? He let out a small groan and smoothed the lines that had formed on his forehead with his fingers. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly opened them letting out a sight. Just what was it this young woman did to him?

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Elaine looked in awe around her. She thought Lim Aear was beautiful, but this place… Not even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined such beauty! Above her, enormous trees stood tall, their leaves golden, their trunks silver. Spiraling stairs led to houses built on their branches; _if that could ever be possible!_ she thought and kept walking, completely in a daze. There was something in the air of that place. Something that gave a dream-like quality to the experience, making Elaine feel as though she had tasted a forbidden fruit. The thousands of tiny lights flickering around her were hypnotizing. It was as if the stars had decided to hide in the city. And the people… Oh the people! No wonder they were called the 'High Elves'!

Suddenly she felt very self-conscious. She must have probably looked like an ugly frog among them. Not even the beautiful dress she had changed into before reaching their borders did anything to make her feel better. How would she face the Lady of the Golden Wood? How would she look upon the face of the being Legolas had so vividly described? A sudden faltering in her steps made Legolas aware of her discomfort.

"Is something wrong?" he whispered leaning towards her.

"I can't go up there", she muttered under her breath and avoided looking at him. The only thing that wouldn't help at that moment, was the feeling of regret that had bitterly settled in the pit of her stomach for her behavior towards him.

"Why not?" Legolas asked confused.

"Hellooo? Look at me! What am I supposed to do here?" she hissed and finally turned to look at him, regretting it immediately. What was it about him that made her weak in the knees? His unparalleled beauty? The fact that he was an elf? The aura of respect he emanated? Or that she forgot all her problems and troubles when she was beside him and became once again the person she was before that fateful night? _Get a grip Elaine! Don't let those blue eyes sway you from your decision!_

Haldir heard the exchange between the couple and decided to intervene. He hadn't missed the look the Prince had shot him before, but he decided to help the situation nonetheless. The Lady was waiting and from what he could tell, the two didn't seem capable of solving the situation without a fight.

"If his Highness allows, I will personally escort you to the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien, as was their original request," he said daring a look at the Prince.

He expected to see a scowl on his face again, or some other sign of annoyance, but all he saw was a stoic mask of indifference. If ever, Prince Legolas gave him a very courteous nod and motioned towards Elaine with his hand. So he offered his arm to Elaine who took it hesitantly and who decided not to open her mouth again unless she got into any more awkward situations like that. Legolas followed them up the stairs, trying to keep his emotions in control. He would act as he was brought up to do: like a Prince. He was no mortal lad to run after her whims. If she didn't want to tell him her secret, then he wouldn't press her. If she wanted to act foolishly, then he wouldn't stop her. He had done everything in his power to show her his love and if she wasn't able to accept it yet, he would wait. There was nothing more his dignity allowed him to do.

After climbing what had looked like hundreds of steps to Elaine, they reached a platform, which she figured out was a 'talan'. It was guarded by two Wardens, also dressed in grey, who stood unmoving like statues. The place seemed to glow everywhere she looked. Her eyes fell upon some steps between the two wardens, to what seemed the source of the light. She had to squint her eyes to see what was there because the light was so bright… She was finally able to make out two figures walking down the steps and she bowed, when she noticed Legolas doing the same.

_Rise child._

She blinked. Was she hearing things or had someone really spoken into her mind?

She felt delicate fingers touching her chin, pushing her head upwards. Her heart welcomed the warmth and sense of tranquility that spread within her. She rose slowly, her eyes looking up to meet a pair of blue ones that were searching the darkest corners of her mind. It was unsettling and comforting at the same time: unsettling because she couldn't tell anyone of her secrets and she felt exposed; comforting, because someone finally shared the burden in her heart and she didn't feel so alone anymore. The weight on her shoulders lessened in a magical way. _Thank you. Thank you so much._ Her eyes glazed with emotion. _You are indeed the Lady of Light._ With a beauty that reached and surpassed perfection, she was bathed in the light of her wisdom.

_Do not fear child_, the voice said again. She had not imagined it; it was the Lady. She was smiling at her gently.

"Hirnich e, Legolas Thranduilion. Dan… gerithach e hebed?" /You (have) found her, Legolas son of Thranduil. But… will you be able to keep her/

Elaine realised that the Lady had spoken to Legolas, as she turned to look at him after she had uttered the words. Legolas looked troubled. What had she told him?

"Harthon i e hebithon", he answered softly and looked down. /I hope that I will keep her./

_The Lady knows I am losing her. If I haven't lost her already_, he thought, desperation creeping in his heart.

"Pân ned lû, Legolas. Pân ned lû", the Lady told him giving him a reassuring smile. /All in time, Legolas. All in time./

Elaine dared a peek at the elf behind the Lady. She assumed he was Lord Celeborn, from the way he was dressed and the way he stood beside the Lady. He wore a gentle smile on his face and was assessing her curiously.

"Tonight you will rest. We shall speak tomorrow, Elaine," the Lady told her in her musical voice and a female elf appeared behind them. "Limiel will escort you to your chambers."

Legolas bowed respectfully, noticing with amusement that Elaine mimicked his every move. She was so anxious of following the etiquette! They all followed Limiel to their chambers, leaving Elaine and Legolas last. They passed staircases winding around the barks of the huge trees, platforms that seemed to grow out between the branches of the trees and finally ascended the last staircase to a talan slightly distanced from the others that looked certainly bigger than the ones assigned to their friends. The elleth stopped in front of the door and opened it. She said something to Legolas in elvish and bowing, she left.

Legolas motioned for Elaine to get inside the room and followed her behind. She stopped in the middle of it and looked around in amazement. The first thing she noticed was that there was no ceiling, but a canopy of leaves. She could see the stars twinkling between the branches. The pale moonlight created shapeless patterns on the wooden floor, changing constantly with every rustle of the leaves to the gentle breeze. _Stars? Moonlight? Wow. You totally forget you're in a cave!_ She had never imagined the extent of Elven magic. It was rather big, she noted, and held every comfort. One of its sides had no wall, but opened to a sort of a balcony which overlooked the heart of Caras Galathon from a distance. Elaine avoided walking close to the edge, since there was no railing or anything else to protect her from falling over. She rolled her eyes. Why would there be any need of a railing? It wasn't like an elf would trip over and fall in a moment of clumsiness!

"Is this my room or yours?" she asked coming back into the room and looking around at the furniture.

"OUR room".

She turned around abruptly, her ponytail flying behind her.

"We're sharing… a room?"

"Aye."

She could not believe her luck! All her previous plans of avoiding him and distancing herself suddenly shattered to pieces. How could she, when the man of her dreams was in the same room with her?

_He's not the man of your dreams! He's NOT the man of your dreams! He's a freakin' elf Prince with freakin' pointed ears that you can't freakin' love!_

She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to hush the voices in her head. They never really helped, anyway.

"Was this your idea?"

"No."

Legolas was trying hard to keep his rising anger in control. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, in case he 'accidentally' threw and crashed something to the wall behind her. He had developed a habit of not being able to control himself lately. Some hours ago she was willing to share his bed and now she couldn't even share a room with him?

"Was it the Lady's idea?"

"Aye. But fear not, I will not stay. You may sleep in peace."

Oops. Wrong answer. Her ego didn't really like what she heard.

"Why? Where are you going?" she asked trying to sound indifferent.

Legolas suppressed a smile. He didn't fall for it.

"I have not visited Lothlorien for a long time. I have many friends to see", he answered leaning casually against the wall.

"Oh".

_You don't care, you don't care – what if there is any ex-girlfriend of his here?- you don't care, you don't care, you don't care –what if a stupid elf lady hits on him?- you don't care, you don't care, you don't care…_

"You do not mind, do you?" Legolas asked amused. She displayed her emotions so freely, that girl.

…_YOU DON'T CARE!_

"Of course not!" she answered a little too cheerfully. "Go ahead, I will get some sleep, I'm very tired!" She waved her hands towards the door and started searching through her things, which had been brought to the room before they had arrived, to conceal her uncomfortable state.

Cocky male. To think he believed she was jealous!

_Ha! Me jealous!_

"As you wish", he answered sighing and bouncing off the wall, walked to the door. "Losto mae." Sleep well

With that, he closed the door and was gone. So was Elaine's desire to sleep. She kept searching furiously in the dresses and gowns that Belwen had packed for her and when she finally found something that looked like a night gown, she threw it on the bed and slammed the top of the case close. She was mad with rage and she couldn't tell why. Of course he wanted to see his friends. And why would she care if he met some elleth? Didn't she want to distance herself? To leave him?

The sharp pain in her chest told her she didn't want to leave him, but she ignored it, as she had ignored everything else. Everything was fine. It was all a game, which she could end whenever she wanted. She did not love, she did not care, she did not have to worry.

She wiped the tears in her eyes and got up to change into her night gown. She lay on the bed and hugged a pillow close to her chest. She repeated her last thoughts several times, she cried a few more, until exhausted, she fell asleep.

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**Reviews are always welcome!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **We had a deal with **Marisa** and since she kept her promise to post the next chapter of her Alien vs. Elf trilogy (you REALLY have to read it, it's AMAZING!), I will keep mine and post the next chapter of Lim Aear! I cannot believe I got so many reviews for this story, it amazes me each time I see another one posted! Thank you so much! A big thank you to my Beta **Ivy **too, I don't know how the story would look without her help!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 15**

_Come._

Elaine stirred in her sleep.

_Come, child._

She sat up on the bed, startled.

_Come to me._

She recognized the voice. She got up and opened the door in a trance-like state. She didn't know where she was going. Her legs seemed to function on their own, taking her down the stairs of her talan to the soft grass. She kept walking, turning around trees, passing beautiful statues and elegant fountains. Further she went, until she came to a small garden where she saw Lady Galadriel, her white dress a sharp contrast to the dark of the night. She walked down the steps that lead to what looked like a stone basin.

"Will you look into the mirror?" the Lady asked her, filling a silver pitcher with water. She glided toward her, wearing an unreadable smile on her face.

Galadriel's mirror? Yes, Legolas had told her all about its magic. It was something really alien and unfamiliar for a girl of her time… _I mean… magic mirrors? _She thought with amusement. Why doubt it, though? She had seen the magic of the elves all around her with her own eyes! But did she dare to look into that mirror? What would she see?

_Things that were, things that are and things that have not yet come to pass, _the Lady replied in her mind, pouring the water in the basin and waiting patiently for the girl to make up her mind.

Elaine watched her step back and motion towards the mirror with her hand. She took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to start facing the truth; she had been avoiding it for too long. She hesitantly approached and looked at the Lady again, who nodded in reassurance. She took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

She saw her reflection in the water. She raised an eyebrow. Was this what she was supposed to see?

Suddenly, the surface of the water started rippling and changing colour. She could see a picture forming… an old man, with a pointed hat and a long white beard…

_The old fisherman!_ she realised, excitement filling her.

And the little girl next to him… was it her?

The image changed. She saw herself with Justin; they looked happy. Why was the Lady torturing her so?

"_Forever."_

The night he promised her he would be with her forever; she read it on his lips. Then the accident. She saw the car smashing on the tree and catching fire. Her knuckles clenched the side of the basin painfully. She started feeling sick. Her eyes watered and beads of sweat started forming on her temples.

She remembered that night so vividly. It was their one-year-anniversary. She had prepared a dinner for them, candles, champagne and everything. He was two hours away and it was raining hard. He had called her and told her that they had finished late from work and that he wouldn't make it. He had practically begged his boss to let him leave a little earlier, but he wouldn't let him. As if that wasn't enough, the streets were dangerous because of the rain and he was very tired. It looked as if the world itself had conspired to keep them apart that night.

But she wouldn't listen. She thought she was the most important person in the world. What if he was late from work? What if it was raining cats and dogs and the streets were as slippery as an ice-rink? What if he was tired? She had cooked. She had made all those things for him and their anniversary. He HAD to come for her! She threatened to leave him if he didn't.

So he got in the car and drove in the rain. He could hardly keep the car on the road and his vision was not clear. That's why he never noticed the car from the opposite side of the road losing control, until he saw it crash on his own, sending him straight to the tree…

Her cheeks were now wet with tears and she had a hard time breathing.

"I can't look, please…" she choked out between sobs.

"Keep looking", the Lady said stoically and Elaine turned her gaze towards the mirror against her will.

The image had changed once more. Now it showed the angelic face of the person that had been haunting her dreams for the past few days. Even partially blinded by her tears, she could easily recognize those bottomless blue eyes everywhere. Legolas had a smile on his face. She saw the first time they met in Lim Aear. Their first kiss. And suddenly red… the mirror filled with its crimson gravity. It took Elaine a few seconds to realize what it was, but when she did, she wished she had never seen it.

_Blood! _she thought with horror and gasped.

"No…" she moaned squeezing her eyes shut.

It was Legolas' blood! An arrow was protruding from his chest and she was holding his lifeless body tightly in her arms.

_He will die too? Because of me?_

"NOOOOO!"

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Legolas' head shot up and looked to the direction from where the scream had come.

"Elaine", he said under his breath and got up to run to her.

"Dartho sí. Hen ah Galadriel." /Stay here. She (is) with Galadriel./

Lord Celeborn's firm grip held him in place. Much against his heart screaming to go to her, he sat back down and closed his eyes trying to erase the terrible sound from his mind.

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The Lady of Light approached the sobbing heap on the grassy floor. Elaine was on her knees, leaning on the ground, crying her heart out. She kneeled down beside her, caressing her back soothingly. Her heart tagged at the sight of one so young experiencing such pain.

"The mirror shows things that MAY come, Elaine. Nothing is certain", she told her in a gentle voice.

"Nooo… I will… kill him… too…" Elaine managed to say.

Galadriel forced her head up and looked into her eyes.

"It was an accident. It was NOT your fault", she said in a steady voice referring to Justin's death, trying to embed her words in the young girl's mind.

"But… He wouldn't have died… I insisted…"

"Some things are meant to happen, child, and we cannot do anything to prevent them. He was meant to die that night, whether you had insisted or not."

_Do not question fate, little one. Just meet it._

The same words. Three different people. They echoed into her mind, slowly moving downwards to travel into her veins along with her blood and wrapping around her heart in a powerful shield.

Hope. She hadn't felt it in a long time. She felt lighter. She was even breathing more easily. So much freedom made her feel dizzy. The heavy burden of guilt and grief slowly lifted from her shoulders and her tired muscles seemed to stretch in relief. _It really wasn't my fault_, she realised a small smile tugging at her lips. Ah, oxygen! Her lungs were finally breathing in oxygen, instead of hatred for herself! What a wonderful thing hope is!

The Lady smiled seeing the emotions on the young mortal's face and wiped the tears on her face.

"Your Prince is here, Elaine. Do not fear to love him and let him love you. Your love could be the one to save him from what you saw…"

"…And kill him later", Elaine added with bitterness. _So much for hope_. Darkness came down upon her once more, as she found herself facing a dead end once more.

"Everything has a price", the Lady replied enigmatically. "A price you will both have to pay."

Elaine looked at her thoughtfully. She was never good at riddles. The Lady smiled again, looking somewhere far-off.

"Go back to your room. There is someone waiting for you there."

Elaine nodded and stealing a last glance to the Lady, she walked up the stairs to find Limiel waiting for her patiently. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised the Lady's thoughtfulness: she would have never found the way back to her room alone!

Legolas was already at the door, before she had time to even knock. She jumped back letting out a small yelp, suddenly finding herself in his arms.

He pulled back and cupped her cheeks, searching her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice heavily tainted with worry.

Her smile did nothing to ease his heart. He frowned seeing her red eyes and remembering her scream. He could not even start imagining what could have occurred during her audience with the Lady.

"I'm fine", she told him, taking his hands in her own. "I… I have to talk to you."

Legolas simply nodded and pulled her inside closing the door.

Elaine sat on the couch at the other side of the room and looked above her at the twinkling lights. She had thought about everything the Lady had told her while she was walking back to the room. Limiel's silent presence had allowed her to weigh the situation carefully and put matters in their right order. Yes, she could finally admit to herself she was madly in love with Legolas. He was indeed her Prince. Her stubborn denial of everything that reminded her of her guilt, had kept her from seeing the truth: she had known he was 'the one' all along; she had felt it; her senses were screaming the fact but she kept avoiding it. She could love him and he could love her beyond empty promises and pompous words.

But she had to leave him before it was too late. The Lady had said that her love could save him from the fate she had seen for him in the mirror… for what? To let him live for a few years until he faded away from grief when she died? How could she sentence him to such a fate? How could she, after seeing the love of his people towards his person? How could she deprive Lim Aear of the blessing of his existence? _How much must they hate me for knowing I will eventually deprive them of their Prince…_ she thought with sadness. _And yet they treat me with so much respect and kindness… Is it the superiority of their race? Of living for thousands of years? _How could she ever live up to such models? And who was she to kill their finest sample? Their love had been doomed from the beginning. They would never be able to be together. No matter what they did. At least that way, she would choose the less painful road for both.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a hand gently touched her shoulder. She brought her gaze from the sky to Legolas. How beautiful he was! The candle light created a halo around his golden hair, his deep blue eyes shining in the dark. He looked so vulnerable sitting there, with his head titled to the side waiting for her to speak.

_My angel. _

She shook her head and took a deep breath. It was now or never. She had to end it.

"I'm so sorry for not being honest with you. I DO have… a secret, so to speak; something happened a year ago that changed me completely… made me who I am. Made me unable to trust you and your love…" she began and took once more his hands in her own.

So she told him everything. About her relationship with Justin, the accident, and how she had dealt with her guilt and her pain. She had cried so much before, that she had only a few tears left to shed at the memory. Legolas was listening at her speechless, his eyes the only sign betraying his emotions.

"I wish you could have told me earlier", he said after she had finished. "I would not have pressured you so much, had I known. Forgive me", he said and looked down, angry at himself for acting so rashly. He should have guessed from her violent reaction that she must have gone through a lot. It certainly wasn't something easy to talk about, he realised now. _Legolas, Legolas…_ he sighed in his mind. _So old, and yet your experience has not taught you that some things take their time…_ He had expected her to open up her heart and trust him in a few days… something that would take an elf some years to do! The pressure of her mortality rested so heavy upon his shoulders, that he was afraid he wouldn't have enough time to know her and love her completely!

She slowly brought her hand to cup his cheek and pushed his head up.

"Don't blame yourself Legolas," she said gently. "We have both made mistakes."

His heart fluttered at the sight of her smile. He had missed it so much! It seemed to him so long since she had last smiled at him that he felt as if discovering the dimples on her face for the first time. He leaned in to kiss her, only to be stopped by her fingers on his lips. He pulled back looking at her confused.

Elaine's stomach clenched painfully at the sight. His eyes seemed to her even bluer if possible. His hair more golden than gold. His lips softer than rose petals. His touch more comforting than a warm blanket on a snowy night.

"We can't be together", she said in a small voice and let her hand fall from his lips.

It took a few minutes for Legolas to register what she had told him. He was so shocked, that his mind could only offer one word for him to utter.

"Why?"

Elaine stood up and walked to open side of their talan. She looked down at the Elves walking on stairs and bridges in the distance, talking and laughing amongst themselves. She would miss them so much. She crossed her arms and steeled herself for the flow of lies that would fall from her lips.

"I had a talk with Lady Galadriel, as you know. She made me see some things… She helped me realize that it was all a young girl's infatuation. I really like you and you have treated me with nothing but respect. I will never be able to thank you enough… That's why I'm telling you now; because I don't want to see you hurt."

She turned around to face him.

"I cannot return your love, Legolas. I'm sorry", she said refusing to meet his gaze. "I… I don't love you."

Legolas stood completely unmoving. Elaine had to wonder if he was even still breathing. He could not believe his own ears. He just couldn't. It could not be possible for him to have been so mistaken. He had seen it in her eyes, he had felt it! Was he so blinded from his passion for her that he didn't realize she had manipulated him? He refused to believe it!

"I want you to look into my eyes when you say these words."

His voice was cold. She didn't dare to look up. She didn't hear him get up and walking to her, until a strong grip under her chin forced her to look into his eyes. She froze by what she saw there. His eyes had almost turned black from rage. He was breathing hard, but not from exertion. His grip on her face was so strong that she was afraid he would crash her jaw.

_It is for the sake of both of us_, she reminded herself and hardened her eyes.

"I don't love you."

She almost let her tears escape at the blank look on his face. The painful registration of her words and the hurt they evoked painted his eyes with a baby-blue colour, that threatened to shatter her resolution. His hand loosened its grip and finally slipped from her face. A look close to disgust that turned to rage was wiped away by the stoic mask he usually wore.

"I will not bother you again. I will send for my things tomorrow."

He crossed the room to the door and got out without looking back. The sound of the door closing sealed all that had happened and somehow made it more real. Her mind finally registered the situation.

It was over. He was gone. She had lost her Prince.

She had lost her only chance to love forever.

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Well, her past is finally out in the open... I hope you won't hate me too much...! Please review and tell me what you think! 


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **I'm really sorry it took me so much time to update, but my previous Beta was too busy to work on my story, so I had to find a new one. So first of all, a HUGE thank you to my life-savior, **Marisa, **who does me the honor to be my new Beta! Welcome to all the new readers who have joined our company and many thanks to all of you who are still following the story! I cannot believe the number of hits and reviews… You people are amazing! Unfortunately I started working, so I'm writing in a slower pace… But rest assured that I WILL finish this story, even if I have to quit my job! I'm obliged to you more than words for your wonderful support!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 16**

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Elaine slowly woke up from the gentle shaking of her shoulders. She opened her eyes but had to close them again to block the bright sunlight.

'_Sunlight'. Whatever_, she thought amused, realizing she was still in Lim Aear and the light wasn't coming from any sun or any other such source for that matter.

"Elaine, it's past noon. You have to wake up", Belwen's melodic voice forced her to open her eyes. The sight that greeted her was not what she expected.

_Great. Probably every single living being in Lim Aear hates me for what I did to Legolas. Including vegetation._

She stretched and sat up on the bed, stealing another look at Belwen's frowning face. She opened her mouth to explain herself before Belwen started her reprimand but stopped herself when she saw Legolas' weapons and things still in her room.

"Why are Legolas' things still in the room?" she asked Belwen confused and turned to look at her.

Belwen blinked. "Where else should they be?" Belwen asked equally confused.

"He said he would send someone to get them in the morning", Elaine replied sliding off the bed and stretching her stiff limbs.

Belwen still looked clueless.

"Did something happen?"

Elaine froze. She slowly let her hands fall and looked down feeling completely stupid. Of course he hadn't told anyone! He was not some immature young man, but an elf who had lived for thousands of years! He was right, her mortal immature mind could only think so far.

Then why the look on Belwen's face?

"We'll talk about it later. What happened to you?"

Belwen looked away and sighed.

"I should not alarm you needlessly", she answered and put on a fake smile. "You missed breakfast, but we are having lunch soon! Come, you have to get dressed or you will miss that too!"

Her change of subject rose suspicions in the young mortal. Elaine approached Belwen and took her hands in hers.

"Alarm me about what, Belwen?"

Belwen's hesitation and silence was scaring her.

"Belwen?"

Belwen sighed and shook her head in defeat. She would hear sooner or later anyway.

"A scouting team returned today and reported Orc activity at the south shores. They met a small group of them some days ago, probably a scouting team too, but it was dealt with. It is probably nothing alarming, Lady Elaine, that is why I didn't want to tell you", Belwen added quickly seeing a look of utter terror in the young woman's face.

"Your face tells me otherwise Belwen", Elaine commented numbly and sat down on the bed again.

It was so hard to believe. Even after witnessing elven magic, those… creatures… they sounded so much like out of a fairy tale. Legolas' description reminded Elaine of monsters in a low-budget movie and made it so hard for her to believe that they were actually real.

_And dangerous._

"Are those things even real?" she asked Belwen in bewilderment.

"Unfortunately. Although we haven't had any problems for the last centuries. We thought that their numbers had started diminishing…" she trailed off.

Elaine felt the sudden urge to be in the safety of her home, where no magic, monsters, dragons or whatsoever threatened her life. She had never felt the unease of eminent danger, having grown up in the safety of a country where the threat of war or any kind of danger seemed so far away from her. Everything seemed so distant and unable to reach her from the safety of her living room. They were nothing more but pictures on TV. But now, she felt the cold grip of fear in her stomach slowly making itself present. She shook her head and dismissed her thoughts as ridiculous. These things would never reach her. Right?

"You should not fear, my Lady. These borders are well protected. Nothing will reach you here", Belwen said as if reading her thoughts.

The words 'my lady' were enough to pry Elaine away from her previous terrifying thoughts and make her forget them completely.

"Oh for God's sake Belwen, do I have to wear a tag with my name so that you'll remember to use it?" She groaned in frustration and let a laughing Belwen pull her up to get dressed.

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The day passed quickly. Elaine was comfortably laying on her soft bed high in her talan enjoying the gentle breeze, finally being able to rest from walking all over the Golden Wood. She had been introduced to so many elves, that she hardly remembered the names of only a few of them. And it was not John, or Jason or Mary or Natalie, but Maethor, Idhion, Minuial, Turwaith and… _What was that other name…? Saelwur… Saelwon… Saelwen…?_

She shook her head and chuckled. She would never remember all those names! _And I won't have to…_ she thought sadly. She would be leaving soon and she would forget all about this magical place. The picture of Legolas' face flashed in her mind and she winced. She hadn't allowed herself to think about him all day. Actually, she didn't have time to. Belwen had literally dragged her all over the Golden Wood to give her a tour of the place and introduce her to practically everyone, which of course had made Elaine want to disappear under the ground from embarrassment. They would laugh and talk but she was not blind to the tension in the air, nor to the increased activity in the city that seemed so out-of-place in that otherworldly city.

She hadn't seen Legolas all day, but from what she had gathered he was with Lord Celeborn and some other Elves in the royal talan since morning, discussing the Orcs. She was actually glad for it, since a meeting with him would be most awkward. Especially when probably everybody expected to see some kind of affection between them. From what Belwen had told her, it was not everyday that Legolas arrived in the Golden Wood in the company of a female. And a mortal one, nonetheless. But that was as far as the discussion about Legolas went. Belwen was very discreet not to ask any questions about what had happened, although Elaine could sense her curiosity. She would tell her –eventually- but that day she really didn't feel like discussing the matter. It hurt too much to be reminded of Legolas' painful expression at the horrible lies she had told him.

She was about to surrender herself in the comforting arms of sleep, when a faint commotion coming from outside pulled her back to consciousness. She blinked and sat up confused, stretching her neck in an effort to see outside her balcony towards the cause of the upheaval. Suddenly the door burst open making her jump out of her skin. Legolas rushed in, running to the corner where his weapons were placed and strapping his quiver and daggers on his back.

"Where are you going?" she asked him confused, a feeling of unease growing in her stomach.

"Since when do you care where I am going?"

_Fair enough_, Elaine thought with bitterness at his cold voice. He didn't even bother to turn and look at her.

Legolas felt his anger return. Her rejection had not completely settled in yet and all he could feel was a blinding rage first at himself for being so naïve and then at Elaine, for treating him in that manner. It was still too early for his anger to give way to grief and sadness and the incident with the orcs had not given him time to really think about what had happened. He had been leaving the talan, when the scouting team had returned bearing the news of their meeting with orcs and he had spent the rest of the day studying maps and gathering information about the orcs' movement with Lord Celeborn and the Marchwarden. Then, half an hour before, the wardens of the southern borders had sent a message that a small party of orcs was moving towards them and soldiers were gathering to reinforce the small elven force already there.

Legolas stole a glance towards Elaine and felt a tug at his heart upon seeing the hurt on her face. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. He shouldn't care. She was the one who hurt him first more than words could ever describe.

"The wardens have spotted a small party of yrch near the southern borders and we are leaving to meet them. You should not worry, 'tis only a small group." /orcs/

With that, he cast a last look towards Elaine, grabbing his bow and sped out of the talan, leaving Elaine frozen in the middle of the bed with a look of utter terror on her face.

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**Oops... cliffhanger...**


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **Thank you once more for your wonderful reviews! I'm sorry that the chapters are a little short, but I promise I will post a long one next time! Please let me know if you find any mistakes in the elvish sentences!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 17**

Elaine could remember only two times in her life when she was so frightened. The first was when she was 14 years old: a 7.1 Richter earthquake had stuck the door of their apartment and they couldn't get out for almost one hour, until the firemen arrived. The second time was when she was about to have her appendix removed 6 months ago and, although in terrible pain, they literally got her into surgery by force because she was afraid she wouldn't wake up from the sedation.

However, remembering those two incidents now, she wanted to laugh. She had no idea what fear meant until that night. Belwen had come to her room a little while after Legolas was gone to find her in the same position he had left her. She had helped her dress and had taken her for a walk in the safety of the city, until they decided to sit by the small stream running to its north side. She had tried everything to make he forget and cheer her up, but she had failed miserably; her own worry about Adanoth was getting in the way.

Elaine let out a sigh and started worrying her lip.

"What if they get hurt? Maybe somebody should come with me to the police! They will know what to do!" she suggested and looked at Belwen expectantly.

"Police?" she asked confused.

"The cops, you know… um…something like… uuhhh… the wardens of the upper world!" Elaine finally came up with an explanation, after fiddling with all the possible words in her mind.

"That is out of the question," Belwen replied sternly. "Calm yourself, we have been fighting orcs for thousands of years. Our warriors are very experienced."

"I need a cigarette," Elaine muttered and started shuffling through the purse she had grabbed hastily when she had left the talan.

"I am not sure it is allow-"

Belwen did not have time to finish her sentence; Elaine had already lit her cigarette. Belwen watched her close her eyes as she took a second whiff and laid down on the soft grass. She took the lighter from her hand and took a close look at the object, her eyebrows rising in wonder. What a handy tool!

Elaine felt herself relax as nicotine spread through her veins. She hadn't smoked for 5 days and she suddenly realized how much she had missed it. Her thoughts went back to Legolas. _Is he fighting right now?_ Her uneasiness returned. It was such a strange thought to fathom. The experience was so alien to her that it made the situation look as if it was a really really bad nightmare, one she would wake up from to find herself in the safety of her bed.

She sat up again, her head unconsciously turning towards the south. There was probably a battle out there, like those she was used in seeing only in movies. Someone was fighting to protect her and the rest of the people in the city. The image of Legolas fighting allowed a flicker of a proud smile on her lips. _A warrior_, she mused. It was such an appealing idea. A warrior, a Prince. He was every girl's dream. _A dream I have cast away_, she thought sadly and took another whiff of her cigarette.

"What thoughts are running through your mind, Elaine?"

Belwen's soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at her frowning at the memory of her fight with Legolas. Maybe it was time to tell her…

"I had a fight with Legolas," she said in a low voice and threw her cigarette in the stream.

Belwen nodded knowingly.

"I had figured as much. But I've been waiting for you to tell me what happened."

"Legolas has not said anything, has he?"

"A noble lord like his Highness would never discuss his personal affairs with other people. I may be a friend of his, but some things are meant to be kept private."

Elaine looked down embarrassed. At times like those, she realized just how different she was from Legolas and his immortality did not look so far-fetched. She felt like an immature child next to him and wondered what had drawn a wise immortal like him to a young girl with a childish behavior.

"I am leaving, Belwen," Elaine suddenly said in a broken voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am leaving and I'm never coming back. I told him that I don't love him." She tried to fight the lump rising in her throat, but lately tears fell so easily from her eyes that she could not stop them no matter how hard she bit on her lip.

Belwen looked at her shocked. She had what?? But it was impossible! It wasn't true! She could still see how much she cared about him in her eyes! Why had she done such a thing? She would never be able to imagine the pain she had caused him. Elven emotions were much stronger and more intensely felt than those of humans. Belwen was surprised Legolas had looked so composed when she had last seen him before he left for the woods.

"Why did you do this to him Elaine? Why? He is so deeply in love with you! Do you understand what a devastating pain you have caused him?" Belwen's voice was filled with sadness.

"I'd rather cause him devastating pain than his death!" Elaine spat back angrily.

Belwen looked at her confused. Elaine sighed and looked away.

"He will fade away from grief when I die, Belwen. And I refuse to be the cause of his death!"

Belwen's bitter laugh made Elaine look back at her.

"Silly child! Can you truly be so blind? He has made that decision himself! He will still die from grief if you leave him… He has given his heart to you and nothing can change that! Elves love only once in their lives and when they do, it is forever. Would you rather he died without the solace of your love?"

It took a few moments for Elaine to register what the female elf beside her told her. Belwen watched as realization slowly settled in the young girl's face and couldn't help but feel pity for her. The thought had probably never crossed her mind. The poor thing had probably thought she was doing the right thing!

Elaine felt numb. She had never hated herself so much before. What had she done? She hid her face in her hands. So typical of her to make such rash decisions and regret them afterwards! She believed she had thought every single thing out, but she had never seen things from that perspective. Belwen was right. Legolas, with the wisdom of thousands of years, had decided to sacrifice his immortality for a few years by her side. Who was she to refute it? Her stupidity and immaturity had thrown away what was only for Legolas to decide and moreover deprived him of his happiness.

Why did she always have to be so selfish?

_But I didn't know…_, a small voice in her mind defended her actions. She truly hadn't thought about that. She had only done what she thought was the best for them. Belwen was right, how could she be so blind? Who was she, an insignificant mortal girl, to mess up the life of an immortal elf Prince?

_What if he dies tonight thinking I do not love him?_

Another thought that hadn't crossed her mind. Her blood froze as she realized it was actually very possible.

"Is it to late Belwen? What if he gets hurt…? He has to know…" she managed to say before her sobs made it unable for her to talk.

"He will be fine", Belwen told Elaine in a soothing voice and pulled her in a comforting hug. "It is only a small band of orcs, they will be back by nightfall."

She caressed the back of the crying girl soothingly and looked towards the east, where the first light of dawn slowly appeared. She repeated her last words to herself, forcing herself to believe them for the sake of her beloved out in the woods.

"He won't have me back… I've driven him away…"

"He still cares about you, Elaine. He was the one who came and asked me to stay with you tonight in case you were frightened."

Elaine pushed herself up and looked at her with a small flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Yes, he did that, right before he left for the woods. Did you think he would forget all about his love for you overnight?"

Elaine allowed a small smile and wiped her tears.

"Do you think he will ever forgive me?"

"Of course he will, you will explain everything to him when he comes back and all will be well", she told her in a soothing manner and patted her hand. However, she could not return the smile Elaine gave her, knowing that Legolas would not let her back to his heart so easily. She had tried to comfort Elaine, but the elf Prince was not someone to play with. He was hurt and she would probably have to try hard to win him back.

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Legolas fired another arrow, hitting the orc square on its forehead. He had literally slaughtered the band of orcs on his own, finding an outlet for his anger towards Elaine. Adanoth was behind him, his own bow singing from firing arrow after arrow to the approaching orcs. Only a few were left, their party being a small one, and the rest had fled in the woods. The Marchwarden was with his wardens running after them. He notched another arrow from his quiver and took aim when he saw from the corner of his eye Haldir emerging from the woods firing arrows and shouting to his wardens to fall back. He released the arrow and looked at him confused. What was happening?

"Arnediad yrch túlar od amrûn!" Haldir yelled at him and fired another arrow. /Countless (Many) Orcs are coming from the east!/

Legolas' eyes widened at the swarm of orcs emerging from the woods.

It was a trap!

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Galadriel watched the young mortal standing with her arms crossed towards the south, looking completely lost. She had been wandering in the Golden Wood like a ghost all day, regret eating up her heart and worry wrapping around her like a veil. She had refused to eat or rest, irregardless of Belwen's pleas. She only kept asking anyone that would cross her way if they had news from the southern borders. She had grown restless as night approached and had been standing like a statue looking southwards for over an hour. She silently approached her and stood next to her.

"Do not despair," she said in a gentle voice.

The young girl turned to look at her startled, not hearing her approach. When she saw the owner of the voice, she hung her head down sadly.

"I have lost him, my lady…"

Her voice was no louder than a whisper, but it was not lost to the elf's keen hearing.

"It is never too late," she replied moving to touch Elaine's cheek with her elegant fingers.

_The night he comes back, you will find completeness. Rest in peace_, the Lady spoke into her mind and slowly glided away. Elaine remained for a while where she was and watched the Lady of Light walking away. With one final glance to the south, she started walking along the path that lead to her talan.

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**Please let me know any thoughts, objections, suggestions etc!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **Although being a writer (or better, _trying_ to be one; I shouldn't flatter myself) and being supposed to have an ease with words, I find myself in lack of them when it comes to thank you guys… I cannot believe this story has passed 100 reviews!! I never thought this would be the case when I decided to post it! So, as a thank you, I wanted to post a long chapter, but it made more sense to cut it here… I hope you will forgive me and wait until the next update! I promise it will be worth it/wink

Please let me know if there are any mistakes in the elvish phrases!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 18**

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Legolas jumped down from his horse and turned around to help the injured warden down. He steadied him on his feet and motioned for the healers to come and check his wounds.

"Le ad!" /You (are) back!/

He looked over his shoulder to the source of the voice and saw Belwen emerge from the crowd that had gathered around them, throwing herself in Adanoth's arms. She pulled away and searched for any wounds with her eyes.

"Le harnannen?" /(Are) you wounded?/

Adanoth shook his head and smiled at the elleth; he was glad to be back. Legolas approached them slowly, giving his two friends space to reunite with each other. The two finally pulled apart and turned to face their Prince, Belwen checking once more for wounds, this time on Legolas. She touched her heart and then his cheek in a formal greeting -in respect to his royal status- only to embrace him laughing, abandoning all etiquette. She was so happy they had made it back safe.

"What happened?" she asked them, concern written clearly on her features.

"The small group was a diversion. They set a trap for us, but they underestimated our numbers. Thank the Valar, we had no casualties", he told her and looked around, his eyes searching for a familiar face. A frown appeared on his face when he did not see her in the crowd.

"She is in her room. She has probably exhausted herself to sleep." Belwen explained and looked for any signs of his feelings on the Prince's face.

Legolas tried to look impassive, but his eyes betrayed his concern.

"She was in a terrible condition. She has been crying continuously and hasn't eaten or slept the past couple of days," she continued, hoping to make Legolas understand that she still cared about him deeply, no matter what she had told him.

"She has brought this upon herself", he said in a flat voice taking a step forward to leave. He would not allow himself any hope for her love again. He had been more patient with her than he had been with any other person and he could not wound his pride anymore; his anger seemed to return only at the mention of her!

A small hand grabbed his wrist and he turned back to see Belwen looking at him with sympathy.

"She thought she would protect you. She didn't want to see you fade away from grief at her death. She never thought you would fade away just the same if she left you. Legolas, she thought she was doing the right thing."

_Is that an excuse for her lies?_ Legolas thought bitterly. Even if what Belwen said was true, he was tired of her lies and secrets! How could Belwen expect him to trust her so easily again? He was neither thin-skinned nor a fool. If Elaine was troubled about him fading away, why couldn't she just TALK to him, instead of throwing all those terrible lies in his face! And by the Valar, had she deceived him again! That cold look in her eyes spoke nothing of her true intentions, only of a terrible void of feelings; and he was so fast to believe her! How could he have been so easily fooled by a mere mortal girl?!

"She has made her decision", Legolas said coldly.

"Do not let your pride destroy your love, young Greenleaf."

Legolas turned around at the melodic voice and bowed upon seeing the Lady and Lord of the Golden Wood, his anger flying away from him at her soothing presence.

"My heart sings to see you are all safe. Tolo, let us speak no more of the battle until tomorrow. You all need rest", Lord Celeborn said and motioned towards the city. /Come/

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Legolas silently opened the door to the talan he shared with Elaine. His eyebrows lowered in confusion upon seeing the bed empty, when a soft sigh brought his attention to the armchair in the corner of the room. Elaine was asleep with a book on her lap, a small frown on her face. Legolas felt a tug on his heart, realizing he was the cause of that frown, but dismissed the feeling quickly. He was so confused. Never before in his life had his mind and heart fought so fiercely! He wanted to forgive her; to leave everything behind them and start on new, more powerful foundations. He needed peace and he could only find it in her company. But how could he forgive her so easily? How could he be sure she would not act so foolishly again and lie? He could not understand why she hadn't talked to him about her doubts and fears, choosing to make such a grave decision by herself… A decision which was not hers alone to make!

_Because she knew what you had decided and thought she would save you by forcing you to follow the only option left if she pushed you away: to forget her and continue your immortal life…_

The voice in his mind made him freeze mid-step, bathing him in the light of clarity. Elaine had thought he actually had a choice! That foolish child! She had thought there were two paths in front of him to choose from: a life with her that would lead to his death and a life without her that would allow him to live forever; when the truth was that both options led to only one road and that was his fading! _It is my destiny_, Legolas realized furrowing his dark brows, the sudden thought filling him with awe at the discovery. He approached and kneeled in front of her, sitting back on his heels to watch her sleeping form. She was so beautiful. Not even the dark circles under her eyes made her any less beautiful to his eyes.

"Ël tithen nín", he whispered and took the book carefully out of her hands. /my little star/

He sighed. The Lady was right. He should not let his pride get in the way of his feelings. He could now see the reasoning behind Elaine's actions and he found himself admiring the courage of the young girl. It must have required a lot of strength to tell him she didn't love him. He didn't need any more proof of her love; the putting aside of her own feelings and needs for his good was enough. He looked down ashamed at himself. How could he be so quick to believe her and give up on their love? How could he not see it coming? He could hardly recognize himself anymore. He was so wrapped up in the tricky net of love, that he was acting completely out of character.

Elaine stirred and he brought his eyes back upon her face. She slowly opened her own to meet Legolas' blue gaze. For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming, but his disheveled appearance made her realize he was actually back. She slowly slid from the arm chair to kneel down in front of him and touched his face to reassure herself he was there; alive and safe.

Legolas leaned into her touch and closed his eyes against his pride's wishes, realizing just how much he had missed it.

"I'm so sorry."

He opened his eyes at her whispered words and looked at the green eyes in front of him, shining with unshed tears. She sounded so honest in her apology; regret was evident in her tone. But she could be just deceiving him again… He had been quite sure of her lack of feelings last time, when the truth was the exact opposite!

"You apologize so frequently Elaine, that the word has started to lose its meaning," he replied in a neutral voice, fighting the urge to wipe the tear that escaped from the corner of her eye with his fingers.

Elaine looked down at that and pulled her hand away from his face_. What did you expect, that he would forget everything with a snap of your fingers?_ she thought in bitter realization. _He's not a guy like those idiots you used to have fun with, but a mature man with wisdom none of them will ever have. A man with honor and pride; both of which you have run over and trampled under your feet. _

"You're right," she said in a broken voice after some moments of silence. "But I don't know what else to say."

She looked up at him again, pushing her chin up and holding on her last threads of dignity.

Legolas was amused at the sense of honor she held deep inside. If she had to face the consequences, she was determined to do so with pride and gravity. It was one of the things that made him love her even more: even though she was acting rashly and childish at times, she always realized her mistake and sought to fix it in a mature way without losing her dignity; such opposing features!

"You could have told me the truth," he remarked in a tone that could not hide his hurt and annoyance at her actions.

"I have been hiding my true thoughts and feelings for too long to start talking about them so easily all of sudden!" she retorted in a defending manner and looked away from him.

"Then what do you expect, Elaine, that I will forgive you knowing you may face this problem again in the future?"

She had no answer to that. He was so right as always. She thought she had overcome her problem by telling him the truth about Justin, but that was never the real problem; it was to admit her fears and thoughts and feelings to him… to open up her heart to him, like he had.

"Will you not answer?" he prodded her when she remained silent for too long and gently turned her face toward him with his long fingers.

"I expect no such thing," she finally said. "Actually, I don't expect anything from you ever again. I have lost this right."

Legolas felt the wounds on his pride heal completely in a strange way. It was good to know she respected and valued him, the same way he did with her. Maybe she had never shown any disrespect to him, but only sought to give him what she thought he deserved: an immortal life next to someone of his own kind.

"I am willing to let you earn this right again, but I will have you promise not to lie to me again. The only thing I ever asked of you was to let me look inside you and cherish what I would find; to let me love you and find peace by your side. But I am not a child to be trifled with, Elaine. I demand the respect I deserve and the right to be part of any decisions made that concern us."

Elaine's heart leapt at the word 'us'. _So there's still 'us'… There's still hope…_ she thought feeling a little relieved, but not any less guilty. She had to wonder at Legolas' benevolence. He truly asked so little of her and gave her so much… and yet she hadn't given him even that little which he asked! She suddenly felt overwhelmed by the swirl of emotions inside her; there was no other man she wanted to marry. There could be no one else she would love more and no one else would ever love her like Legolas did. Many problems would come up, she knew that. There were so many differences that made them the oddest couple. But the heart is a powerful thing and we are all victims of love: she kept fighting against something she could never be a match for and failed each and every time. It was her fate; how stupid of her to think she could control it! And by trying, she had lost Legolas' trust… but she was determined to win it back no matter the cost.

"I think I can do that," she told him after another long silence and looked into his eyes. Her own filled with tears once more and this time Legolas did not force himself to remain unaffected; he returned her smile and pulled her in his arms, kissing the top of her head affectionately.

"Do not cry. All is well now", he told her soothingly, as she surrendered herself to his embrace and held him tightly.

"I love you. I really do", she sobbed on his shoulder and he closed his eyes smiling happily at the words coming from her lips.

"I love you too, ël tithen nín."

Elaine felt him wince, his sharp intake of breath coming in a hiss. She pulled away looking him over with concern and gasped when she saw his blooded sleeve.

"Oh my God, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed and got up heading for the bathroom to fetch a towel, when his hand stopped her.

"I am fine. 'Tis a mere scratch", he told her smiling and pulled her back to his arms.

"Are you kidding me, your tunic is soaked in blood! Come on, we are going to find a healer!"

Legolas sighed and shook his head, slowly getting up. That woman could be so persistent sometimes, it was truly annoying! He didn't care about any wounds but the ones of their love, which he wanted to heal with passionate kisses; they had been apart for unreasonably long!

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the talan, and down a set of stairs only to be pulled in a different direction when she reached an interconnecting flet.

"'Tis that way", Legolas told her amused and she rolled her eyes.

"Of course. You know better."

"Lady Elaine!"

They both stopped at the sound of Belwen's voice, Elaine's face twisting in irritation at the sound of the title.

Belwen approached them and took Elaine's hand.

"You promised me you would eat when the troops returned!"

Elaine groaned.

"But Belwen… We have to go to the healer!" she told her and started moving away when Belwen pulled her back again.

"I am sure his Highness knows the way. You have to eat", Belwen insisted and Elaine looked at Legolas for help. The amused smile on his face was not the help she was looking for.

"Go meleth nín. I was told you have not eaten for two days. Do not wear yourself out."

She sighed and, flashing Legolas a smile, she let Belwen pull her in the opposite direction.

"Belwen?"

"Yes?"

"What does 'methnin'… 'melthin'…" Elaine struggled over the unfamiliar sounds.

"Meleth nín?" Belwen offered and suppressed her mirth to avoid embarrassing the human girl. She was literally butchering their language!

"Yes, that! What does it mean?"

The elleth smiled. "My love."

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**Please let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! This is the long chapter I promised! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**WARNING: Mature content!**

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**Chapter 19**

Eating was a hard thing to concentrate on for Elaine after Legolas' return. When Belwen had brought her to the kitchens and placed the plate of food in front of her, the delicious scent made her realize she was actually very hungry. But in the end, she had managed to stuff a few bites in her stomach and was content to push the rest of her food around the plate, leaning on her hand and gazing somewhere in the distance thoughtfully. Belwen had already left her to visit Adanoth and Elaine could not blame her. She longed to be back in Legolas' arms too, but she was unsure of how to approach him. Her declaration of love was an act of total spontaneity: she was so relieved to see him in one piece, that she had just blurted out the first thought that came to her mind. Not that it was untrue… But she was more hesitant now that they would be finally left alone. Would they have the terrible talk of "whys" and "hows" and "what they should dos" that she hated most in relationships? And did they even HAVE a relationship? And of what kind? Would he treat her differently after her behavior the last time they had talked? He had said he loved her too… Did that mean everything was fine between them?

Elaine sighed and dropped her fork. She really hoped so. She'd had enough drama in the past few days. She could do with a normal night for a change.

_Normal_, she thought and snorted_. In a God-knows-where-it-ends cave snuggling against an elf Prince. Waaaaaaaaay normal!_

She bit her lip. Would Legolas be back from the healers? Would he be waiting for her? Would he stay with her tonight…?

Her heart made a flip at that, the butterflies in her stomach returning. She felt her skin flushing as the memory of what had happened in the cave returned to her.

She got up and thanked the kitchen staff for her late meal. They smiled and nodded their heads gracefully, one of them giving her directions about how to reach her talan. She blushed and mumbling a quick 'thank you', she disappeared to the direction pointed out to her.

Did EVERYONE in the Golden Wood know about her horrible sense of direction??

It only took her a couple of tries and circles to finally find the familiar bridge and set of steps that lead to her talan and she let out a sigh of relief upon reaching it. She brought her hand to the door handle but stopped mid-action to control the suddenly increased beating of her heart at the thought that entered her mind: was Legolas inside?

She slowly reached for the handle and pushed the door open, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the room before she closed it behind her. She took a few steps towards the candle light coming from the small room used as a bathroom, but froze at the sight that greeted her.

Legolas was in the bath tub with his head leaning back on the tube's edge, his eyes closed. His muscular arms were resting on the tube's sides, his upper left arm now covered in a bandage. Elaine's breath caught in her lungs as she realized Legolas was actually naked in front of her and she couldn't stop staring. A familiar burning confirmed that it was the most erotic and sensual sight to ever be witnessed by her eyes.

"Would you like to join me?"

His low voice caught her off guard. He didn't turn to look at her but let out a sigh of contentment at the hot water relaxing his aching muscles. His keen elven hearing had picked up her approaching their talan and her moment of hesitation before entering. He wondered what thoughts were running through her mind, when he heard the once more hesitant steps of the young woman. He turned his head to face her as she kneeled next to him. He smiled. He could see the flame in his eyes reflecting in the forest green of her own.

She kept her gaze locked with Legolas', as she picked up the sponge and ran it over his shoulders in slow movements. She finally let her eyes fall to his well-formed torso, biting her lip at the sight. It had to be a sin to be so perfect. She continued to his arms, careful not to wet the bandage that covered his wound.

"You shouldn't wet it", she said just above a whisper trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

He never answered though. Grabbing her with no warning, he crushed his lips to hers, earning a small gasp from Elaine at his sudden movement. She closed her eyes and gave into his touch, not caring that her dress was getting wet. She melted in his strong grip, slowly caressing back his tongue, letting the waiting, regret, agony and pent-up passion of the previous days guide her movements. He finally pulled back, leaving them both breathless, but didn't let her go. He looked into her eyes with desire and traced her now swollen lips with his thumb. He tried to gather his swirling emotions and tell her to stop, before they got too far again, when all he wanted to do was ask her to surrender to him; to finally yield and let him claim her; to give herself to him and let him give himself to her in return; but he froze at the words coming from her lips.

"I want to be your wife."

They were so softly uttered, that he almost missed them. He searched her face confused. Had she any idea what her words truly meant?

"I want to be your wife, Legolas", she said a little louder this time. "I don't care how we're going to make it or what the others will say or what will happen to us… I only know I want to be by your side."

Her voice was slightly trembling from emotion. She felt so vulnerable after uttering those words. She now understood how Legolas must have felt at her rejection and shivered at the thought of him having changed his mind.

"Are you aware of what you're saying?" he asked her still unable to believe that she had truly spoken those words and searched her eyes for the answer. Although he saw it clearly written for him to see, he waited for her to say it.

"For the first time in my life, I am fully aware of who I am and what I want", she replied without hesitation and saw a ghost of a smile on Legolas' face.

He got up slowly, pulling Elaine with him, his hair dripping over his shoulders and her already half-wet dress. She didn't dare move, but let out an inaudible breath of relief when he finally replied:

"I would want nothing more than to be your husband."

He finally stepped out of the tub, pulling her close to him and capturing her lips in a kiss that sealed the expression of their love for each other. His lips broke the kiss to move to her neck and Elaine let out a small moan when she felt his own desire through her clothes. Legolas sank his hands in the neck of her dress, ripping the material in half without effort, impatient to get rid of the barrier between them. She looked up at him shocked, but obeyed as he helped her step out of the pile that had gathered around her feet and moved her to walk backwards towards the bed. The feral smile on his face warned her not to voice her objections, although Elaine very much wanted him to know that this was her favorite dress.

And the thing he had just thrown over his shoulder and very close to the balcony's edge was her favorite black lacy underwear.

Legolas pulled back for a moment to gaze at his-soon-to-be wife's form. Elaine tried to cover herself, feeling for the first time so uncomfortable about her nudity. Never before did she care about such matters with her previous lovers. But the perfection of the being before her made her too self-conscious. Legolas' eyes were brought back up to her face at her actions and he gently pried her arms away from covering her chest. He moved them to her sides and slowly cupped her cheek with his right hand.

"Bain aranel nín", he whispered and gently ran his thumb over her cheek.

Elaine looked at him in confusion, almost distressed in her uncomfortable state.

"My beautiful princess", Legolas explained when he realized he had spoken in elvish and smiled at the rosy tint that painted her cheeks.

She truly was beautiful to him. His love for her blinded him to all her human imperfections that were very noticeable to elf-kind and, if possible, he loved her even more for them. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, pulling Elaine closer to him when she responded by deepening their kiss and moving her arms around his neck. The thought of her having lain with other men fleetingly crossed Legolas' mind but he didn't dwell upon it. After all she had chosen to bind with _him_. She was truly his.

Elaine shuddered as she felt their skin touch for the first time and the hard muscle prodding her thigh. She complied without thought as he slowly pushed her to lie on the bed, coming down on the mattress with her. Once more, she enjoyed the feeling of his weight on her body, but this time he was not as hesitant as he was in that cave some days ago. He slowly ran his fingers from her neck to her collarbone, moving down to cup one of her breasts, his thumb teasing the sensitive point to attention. Elaine broke their kiss to let out a soft moan, which gave Legolas the opportunity to employ his lips elsewhere. Planting gentle kisses from her neck and moving southwards, he ran his tongue over a pink nipple, hearing Elaine gasp as he closed his lips over it.

She was certain he was driving her mad. Her mind could not form a coherent thought, being overrun by the tide of emotions the elf had awoken inside of her. She could only run her hands over the planes of hard muscle at his back, one hand coming up to weave itself in his golden tresses, still wet from his bath. Legolas' right hand was paying attention to her other breast, stopping only momentarily, allowing him to flick his tongue teasingly over the nipple, watching with a smug smile the instant reaction from Elaine. _My sweet Elaine_, he thought breathing in her scent. _Always wearing your emotions so freely for me to see._ He moved back up to place a soft kiss on her lips and watch her face as his hand glided over her stomach to her belly and ever so lightly between her legs.

Elaine's eyes snapped open as she felt his fingers gently explore her already wet folds, taking in a sharp breath when a finger touched her most sensitive spot. Legolas watched hypnotized as her eyes glazed over with lust and need, the green almost yielding to black desire. Her eyelids slowly fluttered, pearl white teeth biting her bottom lip as he slowly inserted a finger inside her.

It was too much for Elaine. Too tortuous. She had never been more aroused in her life and she was no stranger to bodily pleasure. While such experiences were enjoyable with her other lovers, they had never been so intense. Legolas made her dizzy, his scent flooding her senses, his touch making her shiver and his presence above her, blue eyes shining with desire and golden hair falling around her face, making her want to pinch herself in case it was a dream. The feelings he evoked were so strong…

_Because I love him_, she realized. _It's all because I love him._

When Legolas added a second finger, Elaine closed her eyes and moaned out loud. He stopped immediately and started to withdraw his fingers, thinking he had somehow caused her pain, when a hand grabbed his wrist and held it in place.

"Have I hurt you?"

Elaine opened her eyes to see his concerned face above her and shook her head.

"Don't stop", she said in a whisper and pulled Legolas towards her for a kiss.

After the reassurance, Legolas resumed his actions, which after a while had Elaine trembling and panting for breath. She was so caught up in her passion, that she didn't notice Legolas sliding downwards, until she felt his lips joining her fingers.

The incomprehensible string of words that escaped her lips sounded close to "Oh my God" and "Please don't stop", but Legolas could not tell in his drunken state from her essence. She tasted as he had expected her to taste and he drank greedily from her honey. Breathing in her clean scent, he was teasing her bundle of nerves with his tongue, every now and then replacing his fingers with the flexible muscle in a pace that was threatening to send the young woman over the edge. While it usually took Elaine some time to reach her peak, she felt the familiar tension in her lower parts come all too quickly, her breathing now coming in short gasps. She was close, so close…

She let out a frustrated groan when his lips and fingers suddenly left her and opened her eyes to see Legolas chuckling above her amused. He had felt her walls tightening around his fingers and had withdrawn them, wanting them to reach their peak together. He had moved back up again, intending on finally joining with her, since he could no longer hold back his need, but suddenly found himself on his back. Elaine had caught him off guard and was now smiling triumphantly above him, yet still not fully recovered from her previous state.

"Two can play that game, my dear…" she purred in his ear, sending chills up his spine as her breath brushed over the sensitive tip. She moved her lips to the point, knowing the elf's reaction, and brushed them over its leaf shape, nibbling gently at the tip.

Legolas' grip on her waist tightened and he found his voice back with difficulty.

"What gam-… oh!"

He gasped as long fingers curled around his length and let his head fall back in abandon at her skillful touch. Elaine had intended on teasing him mercilessly for his previous torturing, but found herself drawn to the hard muscle in her hand. She had not seen anything more beautiful. It was just perfect, like everything else on him. She watched in fascination the toned muscles of his abdomen twitching at the movements of her hand and could not help but lean in to taste the pearly drop that appeared on the tip.

The elf let out a strangled moan and clutched the sheets tightly, his knuckles turning white. Oral pleasure was not unknown to him, since it was the only kind of sexual activity elves could safely indulge in without bonding themselves to each other. However, the feelings evoked by the young mortal's ministrations were truly unknown to him. It had never felt so good. So intense. Enough to undo him right then.

"Nay, Elaine… Enough…" he managed to say gently prying her mouth away.

Elaine looked at him with confusion, suddenly finding herself on her back, letting out a gasp at the sudden movement. His strong grip had been so fast, that she had never realized how she came to be the one looking up this time.

"I cannot hold myself any longer", he softly whispered to her and guided her legs around his waist.

Seeing Elaine nod, he slowly eased himself inside of her.

Her head fell back on the pillow and her eyes fluttered shut, a strange relief consuming her at the feeling of his length filling her. She held in her breath trying to adjust to his large size, her fingernails sinking in the flesh of his shoulders. Legolas stilled once fully embedded within her, trying to control the wave of emotions inside him.

Bliss. It was pure bliss. He had never imagined it to feel that way. Her warmth encased him in a heavenly cell, her tiny muscles stretching to accommodate him and holding him tightly inside her. He brought his head up from where he had buried it in the crook of her neck and looked in her eyes. They were one. The young woman with the now flushed skin and glazed eyes from passion, was finally his wife. He lost himself in their greenness, searching to see the love in her eyes, the confirmation that after all those thousands of years he was finally bound to his other half… Seeing her feelings for him shining brightly, he rested his forehead on her own and started moving at a slow rhythm.

She traced his face with her fingers, gliding them to his neck and pulling him closer to her. She relished in the feelings of their slow love-making, not even bothering to wonder why it was never like that with her previous lovers. There had been nothing between them but physical attraction and an urgent need for satisfaction, whereas what she was doing with Legolas was sharing their love and expressing their need of each other.

Legolas groaned. The sensations were too much for him to handle. He reached for her hands, pinning them over her head and entwining his fingers with hers, slightly raising his upper body. The new angle made Elaine moan, as he reached a place inside her she never knew existed. He slowly quickened the pace, Elaine meeting his thrusts, both eager to reach the one place where no worries about mortality, differences and such problems could reach them.

It came like lightning to her, the electricity spreading all over her body in slow waves. Her body arched and his name rolled off her tongue like a musical whisper between ragged breaths. The feeling of her muscles contracting around him was too much for Legolas and he didn't hold it back. With a final hard thrust and a muffled cry against her neck, he let himself get lost in the bright white light that burst behind his eyes, his body shaking violently at the impact of the pleasure engulfing his being.

His awareness of his surroundings slowly returned and he realized he was still gripping her fingers tightly; they were already turning purple from lack of blood circulation. He unlaced his fingers from hers and slowly braced himself on his arms, relieving the young mortal of his weight. Elaine giggled as she moved her numb fingers slowly and feeling returned to them.

"Forgive me", he whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed at having let his passion carry him away in such a manner.

Elaine replied by pushing his chin up and kissing him sweetly on the lips, her fingers now tracing the damp skin on the back of his neck. She pulled back and moved the golden locks away from his face, looking at him in the eyes. They stayed like that for some time, both contemplating what they had shared and what their act truly meant: they were now husband and wife. Their souls were bound for eternity. Words died on their lips as the realization of what had happened slowly settled in and Legolas simply slid out her, pulling Elaine gently in his arms, his head resting on top of her own.

There, in the comfort of each other's arms, they let their even breathing lull each other to sleep.

_The night he comes back, you will find completeness. Rest in peace…_

Galadriel's voice echoed in the blackness of her sleep and formed a peaceful smile on Elaine's face, as she finally let herself fall in the magical land of dreams.

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**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: **Thank you once more for your wonderful reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I would also like to thank my amazing BETA **Marisa**!!

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

_Italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 20**

The feeling of absence pulled her back to consciousness. Still in her daze of sleep she panicked; had last night been a dream? But the soreness in her muscles betrayed the reality of what had happened the previous night and her heart's beat slowed once more; a lazy, satisfied smile spread on her lips.

However, the smile disappeared upon reaching the empty space beside her, the cold texture of the silken sheets under her fingers a sharp contrast to the blazing fire of the previous night. She snapped her eyes open and sat up on the bed, blinking a few times at the bright light coming from the balcony. Once her eyesight cleared, her heart rejoiced to see Legolas sitting leisurely on the armchair she had occupied the previous night, a glass of wine held in his long fingers. He smiled playfully.

"I thought you were gone…" she admitted, embarrassed at how she had grown to need him so much.

"There is nowhere else for me to go, except by your side," was his soft reply, but did not move from the chair.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked him biting down the urge to get up and crawl in his arms.

"Early?" he chuckled raising his dark eyebrows. "'Tis past midday!"

Elaine turned to look at the bright light coming from outside their talan, realizing he was right. But it didn't really come as a surprise to her. She was exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous days and last nights' activities did not let her rest either.

She blushed crimson as the memories of last night's love-making came to her mind. How many times they had made love, she had lost count. How loud she had been, she could not remember, but knowing herself and the sensitive hearing of the elves, she was sure they would be the talk of the city. She had woken up in the middle of the night from the soft kisses on her shoulder and had turned around to find herself in Legolas' arms; they had made love then. And another time after that. And another, but she could have dreamt that last one. She bit her lip at the recollection of Legolas buried deep inside her… his touches… his kisses… his whispers… She almost chuckled; he was certainly too skilled for a virgin, but then again, was there something elves were not naturally good at??

Legolas watched her with a smile on his face. Partly contented, partly amused. She was magnificent, with her hair in wild abandon around her, her cheeks still rosy from sleep… _Or maybe it's not from sleep?_ he thought with amusement. His eyes traveled on her bare shoulders and he felt frustrated at the sheet she held on her chest. He wanted to see all of her. But then again, the concealment excited him, making him want to crawl underneath the sheet or rip it in two, or slowly slide it away, seeing the silk caressing her skin in a whisper, a whisper that was only his to understand… he could not pick which scenario best fitted his plans at the moment.

He shook his head. What was this animalistic desire within him when it came to Elaine? He was never like that. Never so impatient. Never so in need of physical contact. But whenever she was around him, all he wanted was to bury himself in her essence; crawl under her skin and breathe in her soul, get lost in the majestic sensations she evoked from him. All that from a mortal. A mere child. If seen by his rational self, surely not perfect. Surely childish. Surely rush. Surely impatient. Surely insecure. But his rational self had left him the first time he set eyes on her and his soul recognized its mate. Which, he realized now, was when he had first saw her as a child. That was why he still remembered her so vividly; it was not the forest of his past he had seen in her eyes, but the forest of his future, a forest they would rule together. Such a change coming from an elf, whose only concern so far had been his duty and his people. Always the Prince. Always the warrior. Always the protector of values he thought he understood, but realized he could understand them only now. Only after meeting her. Only after falling in love. Only after sharing his soul with another. Suddenly, his long life on Earth had a purpose; he had finally reached the destination of such a long journey of loneliness, bitterness and boredom that he kept to himself. But the close friends who had perceived it, had rejoiced in the change. And he knew they would welcome the decision he had taken no matter what.

"Why didn't you stay with me in bed?"

The soft voice brought him back from his reverie. His eyes focused on the being in front of him. She seemed to glow, even in her mortal shell. For him, she was a goddess. And for her, he was nothing less than a god.

"I wanted to watch you sleep. It brings me peace," he answered in an equally soft tone and left the glass of wine on the table next to him. He sighed inaudibly and leaned his chin on his palm, still watching her with that penetrating gaze that both unnerved and thrilled her.

"Well… couldn't you watch me in bed?" she persisted, feeling foolish for blushing like an infatuated teenager.

His lips slowly broke into another one of his killer smiles and her breath caught in her chest. He was a magnificent being. Even among his own kind.

"I had to visit the healer."

Elaine's eyes showed her alarm at the sentence.

"Do not worry, 'twas only the stitches that broke from our previous night's… activities…"

He added the last word with a sly smile and Elaine blushed again, even in her concern for his health. What was wrong with her?? Her eyes then moved to his arm, unable to hold his intense gaze any longer and she noticed it was freshly bandaged. She brought her hand up to push a stray strand of hair behind her ear but jumped back from it at the sight of dried blood on her skin. She looked around her to notice that the sheets were also bloodied at some parts and raised her eyes in alarm to Legolas.

"I lost my virginity last night," he said with a sheepish grin and shrugged.

Elaine looked at him with incredulity for some seconds, then burst out in a hearty laugh at his remark. Legolas shook his head with silent mirth and got up to finally join her on the bed. Elaine's laughter finally died down and she looked up at him, now sitting beside her on the bed, and shuddered at his close proximity. Would she ever get used to the feelings he awoke when he was beside her? Would all this excitement fade out when the time passed and these occurrences would become a habit?

One look in his blue shining eyes was enough for her to answer. No. Never with Legolas. Never with this otherworldly being.

"Was it bleeding so bad?" she asked nodding to the bandaged arm.

Legolas turned to look at it and shook his head, strands of silvery blond dancing playfully around him.

"Not really. I never noticed it until I felt the sheet get damp. And I must confess, I very reluctantly pulled away from your arms for such a trivial matter." He added the last sentence looking pointedly at Elaine who just clutched the sheet tighter on her chest, suddenly feeling too exposed under his burning gaze.

"Trivial matter?" she laughed nervously. "You had twelve stitches!"

"Ah, minor detail! Let's not dwell upon it when there are so many important… affairs… to take care of…"

His silky voice played that seductive tune again and she gave in to its caress, watching hypnotized as he slowly unfolded her fingers from holding the sheet and tugged gently on it to expose her. The dark red stains on the sheet brought her abruptly back to reality and she grabbed the sheet before it could slide down further, bringing it back to her chest.

Legolas' eyes looked up again at her move and he barely suppressed a groan of irritation at the girl's persistence. He furrowed his brows in confusion at the stern look on Elaine's face.

"We are not doing anything until your arm is healed. I won't risk breaking the stitches again!" she said in a determined voice and Legolas' features softened.

His sweet caring Elaine. Always so thoughtful and unselfish. Always so much fun to tease, more because of that.

"Ah, such a pity then. I was hoping to feel your skin against mine once more before I meet Lord Celeborn…" He kissed her cheek. "…taste your desire for me until you are begging me to stop…" Another kiss on her jaw. "Bury myself inside you again and again until you scream my name…" A shudder ran through her as his whisper brushed across her neck and his lips placed a tender kiss on the awoken skin.

"How much time do we have?" whispered the trembling mass beneath him and he smiled against her skin in satisfaction, lowering her on the bed.

"Enough", was the soft reply, before he devoured her lips hungrily, famished from not having kissed her for… was it only a few hours?

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Legolas lead Elaine through the net of interconnecting stairs and talans in a leisurely pace, both bowing their greetings to the elves they passed by. Elaine was gripping his arm almost painfully, looking around her uncomfortably as she met the amused stares of the elves. A deep crimson color covered her cheeks, realizing that they were INDEED loud last night and that they were not pointing a finger at her only out of courtesy! She looked up at Legolas who only smiled gently and took her hand from the crook of his arm to place a soft kiss on the back of it. She almost screamed in frustration; didn't he see the stares?? Or the smiles?? _My God, I swear he's either too dense or too bold!!_ she thought irritated and decided that it was the most embarrassing day of her life!

Little did she know that the amused stares and smiles were not addressed to her, but to the elven Prince beside her, who couldn't have cared less in the world. It was a radical change to be witnessed by the elves in the Golden Wood and Legolas could not keep his feelings from showing behind his usual elven mask… _I don't care_, he realized in amusement. For the first time in his immortal life he didn't care about his status or the consensus or the elven mentality or anything! The feelings inside him were too massive to be trapped in his body's frame and he didn't care to even try and control them. A subtle smile appeared on his lips at the strange feeling of freedom that enveloped him. All his life he had served his beliefs, his values, his friends and his people, locking his own feelings and needs away. And then a young mortal girl, managed to unlock his heart and set him free. _Free_. The world was suddenly a better place and his duties did not seem such a burden. His own _life_ did not look like such a burden. He turned his face to look down at the young woman smiling.

_The Valar sure have a strange will_, he mused not wiping away his smile; unbeknownst to him, the thought was echoed in the minds of the elves around them. The Prince of Lim Aear was literally beaming; he looked as if he had swallowed the sun and stolen its radiance. The aura of peacefulness and contentment emanating from him was so powerful, that the people of the Golden Wood could not help but feel like singing and praising the power of love; elves were joyful creatures and the celebration of everything that reminded them of life's nature was a comforting relief amidst a long life of bitterness and never-ending repetition. They suddenly felt old in front of the young love blooming in front of them, so pure and innocent in its strength that they found themselves back at those times; when the endless sky was above them and the bitterness of experience had not settled in their veins. They had truly forgotten how rejuvenating the presence of humans had always been.

Elaine smiled when she saw Belwen approach them, feeling the relief of friendly environment disperse the previous uncomfortable state.

"Le suilannon," she said in her melodic voice and bowed to Legolas as was custom. Legolas inclined his head and Elaine furrowed her brows trying to place the words in the limited Elvish vocabulary she had learned. /I give greetings to you./

"Hír nín, Adanoth le dartha," she spoke once more and motioned towards the talan of the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien with her hand. /My lord, Adanoth is waiting for you./

"Le hannon, Belwen," he replied and turned to Elaine, who was standing once more mesmerized by the beautiful language spoken with his velvety voice. "I have to go now, ël tithen nín. I will be back before dinner." /Thank you, Belwen. / my little star/

He leaned in and captured her lips in a gentle kiss, Elaine blushing once more for his public display of affection. Brushing the just-kissed lips with his thumb, his face broke to another dazzling smile as he turned around and walked away. Elaine could only stare at his retreating back. _Damn this elf and his kisses!_ She really needed to stop swooning every time he kissed her or she would end up being the laughing stock of Lim Aear. Or maybe having an accident; a very possible scenario with all those talans and stairs several feet above the ground.

She shook her head and turned back to Belwen who was standing with her hands folded in front of her as usual and wore a happy smile.

"I assume everything is settled between you?" she asked raising her eyebrows amused.

"Yes… I think so…" Elaine replied, her embarrassment returning as she assumed Belwen was referring to their joining as well.

"Good. I am very happy to know this." She entwined her arm with hers and pulled her off towards the dining hall. "I'm sure you must be hungry. Lunch is being served now, since most of the warriors that returned needed some rest and have risen late."

Elaine realized the empty state of her stomach at the mention of food. She had hardly eaten the past days and the simple meal she had had last night was only burnt calories from their nightly exercise. An amused smile appeared on her face for the sore muscles of her legs that could barely hold her weight. It would be a lie to say she hadn't had sex recently to justify her soreness_. I guess Legolas is a very… passionate lover_, she thought, a sigh escaping her lips as his image appeared in her mind.

"You must have had a good night," Belwen remarked and Elaine cursed herself inwardly once more for showing her hopeless infatuation. "You are beaming with happiness. That much is evident."

The young woman blushed, not knowing what to say and looked down at her feet appearing and disappearing under her dress as she walked.

"You should not be embarrassed," the elleth continued and gave her a gentle smile as Elaine looked back at her. "It is a sacred thing among our kind."

"I am not embarrassed exactly… It's just…" She sighed. "I don't know."

"You do. Let it go Elaine and cherish the love you were so lucky to find with no inhibitions. There is no shame in that."

Elaine stopped walking at that and turned around to fully face the elf. _She is right_, she thought tilting her head to the side. She was finally happy. Finally free of her guilt. And yet, she wouldn't let herself free to enjoy their love. Such a nasty thing is habit! Having to guard her true feelings and pretend for so long, she had grown used to it… So used to it, that even now she unconsciously held herself back and felt guilty for what? For loving Legolas? And for him loving her back? What could be more beautiful, pure and just than that? _So much heartache and I'm still wearing my ridiculous mask_, she realized sadly. What was she afraid of?

"You are right," she finally said in a soft voice. "You are right, I need to live this. And live it with all my being."

Belwen nodded and smiled gently.

"Does this mean you will take your place by the Prince's side officially at tomorrow's celebration?"

"What celebration?" Elaine asked confused.

"Oh, his highness forgot to tell you then!" Belwen exclaimed, looking as if it was the end of the world.

_More like he didn't have the time to_, Elaine thought amused. Legolas had more important matters to 'discuss' last night than celebrations.

"There is a celebration tomorrow night for our victory! Thankfully I have packed a dress just for the occasion!" Belwen laughed excitedly and pulled Elaine once more towards the dining hall.

Celebration? Elaine thought raising her eyebrows. Officially?? Like… what…. His wife?? It was a relief when her heart started beating again and she realized she had once more narrowly escaped a heart-attack! That was too much for such a short time! Just when she decided to act more bravely and take risks, facing whatever came her way… this situation was just… too demanding for a 20-year-old girl! Legolas seemed to forget sometimes that she was just a young woman and, although not purposefully, laid responsibility after responsibility on her shoulders. How many more such decisions would she have to take in only a matter of few days? She felt her surroundings spinning around and invisible walls closing in around her. She couldn't breath!

Yet, suddenly, it all stopped in a moment of clarity. She was pretending again! She was pretending she actually had a choice, when her path had been laid before her long before she was born! Why fight it and think about everything so much? Why did she always have to react so violently to everything? She kept seeing life like an enemy who only laid obstacles in her way, when minutes before she had decided to let herself free.

_Always stressing and trying to keep control over everything_, she thought sadly and sighed. Maybe it was time to lay back and let the powers above play their game. She would just sit back and enjoy. No more stressing, no more worrying about consequences.

"Belwen", she called the elf beside her just before they reached the talan where they would have their lunch.

"Yes?"

"Am I gonna have to dance?"

"Dance?"

"At the feast… you know…" Elaine shrugged.

"You cannot dance?" Belwen seemed genuinely surprised at that.

"Well, it depends on the dance! Do you elves waltz or… I dunno!"

"I think his Highness would be most willing to show you how to dance. I am sure he has been in more dances than anyone else!" The elf laughed softly and then paused, as if pondering on something. "So, you will officially be presented as the Princess of Lim Aear?"

And just when Elaine thought her heart was finally safe, the abrupt halt of its beating came again. _Princess??_ Was there anything else she had forgotten to think about?? _Well… it's up to me to make them accept me for who I am, rather than an elf I will never be…_ she thought as she made up her mind about the next night's feast.

"I guess so…" she replied in a hesitant tone and Belwen smiled at her encouragingly.

"Fear not, Lady Elaine. I am sure you will do just fine. Oh, I almost forgot!"

Elaine paled at the object Belwen produced from the folds of her dress and held in front of her, her eyes twinkling with silent mirth.

"An elleth found this in the morning and gave it to me. She assumed it was yours, since it seemed to have fallen from your talan."

Elaine snatched the black lacy underwear from her hands and stuffed it hurriedly in the hidden pocket of her dress, he face red with embarrassment.

Maybe going to the feast the following night was not such a good idea.

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Reviews are more than welcome!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** I would like to apologize for not updating as often as I used to, but life is pretty hectic right now. Thank you all very much for your reviews! Please keep telling me what you think of the story, it helps me improve. I would also like to thank my Beta **Marisa** for the awesome work she did with my story!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**

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****Chapter 21**

Dancing lessons with Legolas was an interesting experience.

It was true that the elven Prince was more than happy to show her, although he had laughed heartily at her request at first; and kept the amused smile on his face throughout the session, of course. He was humming a tune to set the rhythm, as he led her through and around the furniture of their room in a graceful way, and Elaine had to wonder at his beautiful voice. She honestly hated him sometimes. So much perfection was annoying. But it was hard to express her annoyance when she was laughing and giggling with all the mocking Legolas made of dances and court behavior; he truly despised it! Elaine only then realized how tough all those years must have been for him and especially since he had to pass them alone.

He twirled her and dipped her low…not that it was part of the steps or the choreography, but it was fun…and he never lost the rhythm of the 'ba bam ba bam ba bam' tune he was singing. She really had to marvel at the change: the so reserved Legolas of their first encounters had loosened up to the state of a happy, uncaring child. She was so glad to see him laughing and smiling like that… it was the least he deserved for his goodness and kindness toward the people around him all those years.

The first half of an hour was quite productive; Elaine could say with pride that she would at least make a decent performance, if asked to dance. However, the dancing lessons finished quickly, as –in some mysterious way- they ended up hurriedly pulling tunic and dress off each other and found themselves on the floor. Then on the vanity table. And finally on the bed.

The following day passed in a similar fashion, between dancing lessons and more intimate activities, with a short interval between them, when Belwen came to make sure Elaine had picked the right dress for the night's celebration. What she didn't know, however, was that the young woman had other plans in mind.

And that's how Elaine found herself in front of her mirror in the early hours of the evening, applying make-up on her face, with Legolas sitting on the bed behind her, trying to figure out what all the little objects in her small black pack were useful for.

"Although I surely do not see the point of covering your face with all these… substances, I find the result quite appealing", he said tilting his head to the side. "It brings out the beauty of your eyes."

Elaine turned her head and gave him a conspiratorial smile.

"Which is exactly the point of make-up," she replied and turned back towards the mirror.

"'Tis still two hours until the feast…" Legolas complained and looked at her pointedly, but this time his seductive voice had no effect to Elaine, who was deeply concentrated in her task. If she would be introduced as the Princess of Lim Aear, she had to look perfect!

"My hair is still not ready…"

"What is wrong with your hair?"

She had to suppress a giggle. The mighty warrior was actually whining! With a defeated sigh, Legolas got up and walked to the balcony. _Elves or humans, when it comes to dressing they are all similarly insufferable!_ he thought with annoyance and sat down on the wooden floor of the talan, looking at the elves making preparations for the feast below. He turned to look at Elaine a few times and realized -to his dismay- that she was pulling her hair up. When he grew too bored and frustrated with Elaine's womanish behavior, he got up to dress himself in his formal attire, cringing at the sight of the silver robes. He put on the layers of clothes reluctantly, as Elaine disappeared in the bathroom. He had just put on his crown on the top of his blond head, when Elaine re-emerged from the other room.

He truly didn't know how to react. First, he had to start breathing again. Second, he had to stop all the naughty thoughts that popped in his mind, which began with the ripping of the dress she had put on. Third, he had to talk.

"You look…"

Easier said than done.

She gave him a small smile at that and looked down blushing. Elaine was not something special in elven eyes. And it was not her unparalleled beauty that took his breath away. It was only that she looked like a true Princess in that dress, that clang to her curves and flowed lusciously at the bottom, as if drawn upon her silhouette. He had never seen a dress like its kind before, but he decided that he liked it better than elven gowns. And, of course, it was the fact that, in his eyes, Elaine would always be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"… breathtaking," he finished as he approached her and ran his fingers over the sand colored material, that was adorned with small sparkling gems. "What are they?" he asked not being able to recognize their origin.

"Oh! Swarovski crystals," she answered smiling, pride evident in her voice. "It was a gift from my grandfather, to wear in the dance held in his honor as the newly elected Mayor… I secretly packed it in my first-aid bag," she babbled on with a smile of self-achievement on her face, missing the way Legolas was running his eyes over her figure.

"'Tis very beautiful," he said absent-mindedly, as he picked up something from the vanity table and held it in front of her. "Will you do me the honor of wearing this?"

Elaine looked wide-eyed at the beautiful tiara in his hands. She knew he was not just asking her to wear a jewel; he was indirectly asking her to take her place as the Princess of Lim Aear by his side. Even if she had thought it over many times in her mind the past couple of days, she still hesitated. How could she, a mere mortal woman, neither coming from an important family nor being an important person herself, become a Princess of an elven realm? What good could she do to the wise elves of Lim Aear? And for how long? What had she done to deserve such an honor? _You love their Prince and he loves you in return; and now you are his wife_, a voice responded in her head. She raised her eyes and upon seeing the glittering blue eyes of her husband –how strange the word sounded!- in front of her, she nodded.

Legolas smiled brightly and fixed the tiara in her blond hair, a strange feeling of relief traveling through his veins. It was a big step for Elaine, he understood that. And he was glad that she understood his duties to his people and agreed to comply with them. He leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss, then motioned for her to lead the way; it was time for the royal couple of Lim Aear to make their appearance. Elaine smiled and took a few steps towards the door.

Legolas' face paled.

"Meleth nín, where is the rest of your dress?" he asked motioning towards her back that was bared down to her waist.

"Oh," she replied innocently. "That's all of it." She gave him a sheepish smile and opening the door, she exited the talan.

Legolas stared after her for a few seconds then shrugged and followed her to the stairs. The Golden Wood was in for a surprise. At least, the night would be interesting!

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Her first appearance as the Princess of Lim Aear could have gone better. She had imagined it glorious, with someone announcing their arrival, the elves wearing shocked faces at the way she had chosen to dress (she had always loved that kind of attention)…appraising or disapproving looks and whispers… something… ANYTHING! However, she was disappointed to see that they had quietly made their way to the long table next to the Lord and Lady of Lorien; how silly of her to think she could actually steal her radiance with a few Swarovski crystals! And the only reaction she received was some raised eyebrows. Oh, and of course the shocked face of Belwen- priceless, in Legolas' opinion. Damn elves and their discretion! Of course, there had been the awfully uncomfortable bowing to them that she hated, but no walking down stairs with eyes locked upon them, no trumpets, no "Ladies and gentlemen, the Prince and Princess of Lim Aear!", no clapping! Wasn't it always like that in the movies?? _Apparently,_ _reality is far less glorious than girlish dreams_, she thought with irritation, as the high heels of her sandals sank in the soft ground, making walking a tough effort on her part.

You had to admire her courage, though.

In front of the wise, immortal elves of the Golden Wood, she had exchanged pleasantries, danced without stepping on anyone's foot (after taking off her shoes in frustration of course, earning a string of melodic laughter from the Lady of Light) engaged in conversation without sounding stupid, but naturally sounding like a 20-year-old woman of modern times…and managed to pass the night without doing anything _overly_ embarrassing.

Some had liked her and rejoiced in her freshness, some had thought the Prince's choice pure madness. Legolas cared for neither. He watched Elaine with a smile, wishing secretly to take off the much debated dress. She was his sweet young mortal. His beautiful Elaine that had put all other ellyth fighting for his heart to shame. She was who she was; with her imperfections and her virtues.

She was the woman he loved. And he blessed the Valar he had finally found her.

The Lady shared a knowing smile with him, seeing the happiness written plainly for someone less insightful than she was to see. However, Legolas missed the hue of sadness that her lips acquired as he turned from her to smile at Elaine, who was chatting and laughing with Belwen and Adanoth a little further. The Lady knew; and her heart ached at the knowledge.

"It wasn't that bad!" Elaine said with a dramatic sigh, as she lay her head on Legolas' lap, both facing the river. They had bid their goodnights and stolen away in the forest, to the quietness of the river. The elf who was resting his back against a tree, looked down at the woman as he ran his fingers through a stray strand of hair.

"You are drunk, ël tithen nín," he replied with an amused smile. Elaine had drunk a lot; and Lothlorien's wine was one of the strongest. /my little star/

"I'm not drunk," she protested and pushed herself up from the soft grass to look at him.

Legolas' jaw tensed, his desire coming to life as he took in her figure. Her hair had almost come undone, strands of it having escaped her intricate twist. Her cheeks were flushed and the night's silvery light was making the iridescent paint on her eyes glitter playfully and making her eyes look like two big emeralds. Her luscious lashes were lowered and her lips parted. His eyes traveled to her bare shoulders and the way her breasts were begging to be free of the constraining neckline of her dress, all the more standing out by the way she had propped up her upper body.

An elf could take only so much.

He slowly reached and pulled out the pins in her hair, one by one, with sacredness, as if it was some kind of a ritual. It was not long before her thick mane framed her face, now falling in waves on her shoulders, from being twisted on her head. It would be pointless to try and look through the elf's eyes, but he was sure she was the most enchanting picture he had ever seen. The tiara on her head served only to fuel his desire further: she was his wife; his princess; and he would make love to her.

He leaned in to kiss her, capturing her lips in a demanding kiss. Elaine moaned, mostly surprised in her light-headed state, but complied. Legolas pushed her gently to lie on the ground, moving his kisses on her exposed neck and collarbone. She opened her eyes and looked at the trees above her, the small lights winking playfully at her. The intertwined branches of the trees above them created surreal shapes, the shadows forming images that awoke her imagination. Just as her husband's lips reached the top of her dress's neckline, she lowered her brows as she came to a sudden realization: would there not be an official ceremony? Would she never wear the white dress of the wedding she had always dreamed of? Would she not be able to share such a happy occasion with her loved ones?

"Legolas?" The elf raised his head from her bosom and looked at her. "Are we not having a real wedding?"

The elf looked at her under dark brows in confusion.

"What do you mean by 'real'?" he asked and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"You know… white wedding dress, family, friends, exchange of oaths…"

Legolas smiled still confused at how she had come up with a question like that all of a sudden.

"If you wish."

Elaine hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much! My mum would be devastated if she missed my wedding day… and Jessica would never forgive me if I didn't make her one of my bridesmaids!"

Legolas tensed and stopped nibbling on her neck, as he slowly sat up next to her. He looked down and massaged his forehead perplexed. He had grown so used to her presence in Lim Aear, that he had come to feel she had always belonged there.

"What?" she asked alarmed and sat up too.

"Meleth nín…" he trailed off not knowing how to tell her.

Elaine suddenly became more than sober, getting a hint of what he was about to tell her. He couldn't ask that of her! What would be next?

"Legolas, please… they're my family… and… and Jessica is my best friend!" she took his hands in hers and tilted her head to look into his eyes; pleading with him. But he kept avoiding her gaze.

"There are rules, Elaine, and exactly because I am the Prince, I am more bound to them than anyone else…"

"But… But you let me go! And I know they will keep it a secret!"

"Elaine, I beg of you, try to understand…" he turned to look at her but she refused to accept the facts.

"Legolas what in the world am I going to tell them? Do you expect me to just throw away my life and come to stay with you? Disappear from the surface of Earth with no explanations?"

As much as the elf wanted to deny the truth in her words, he could not. He was more reasonable than that. Although he had made plans in his mind about them, he had forgotten one very important variable: that she had a life of her own; dreams; and hopes. He could not deny her all that. But how to find a solution that would leave both of them satisfied?

"I have to continue my studies… And the university is pretty far from here! My own house is two hours away! And… and… I have friends, Legolas! I want to go to clubs and bars and do all kinds of stupid stuff!" Elaine continued, suddenly feeling as if she was fighting to avoid an upcoming imprisonment.

"I never asked you to give up your freedom for me, Elaine. I only asked you to give me your heart," Legolas told her softly, understanding her fears. It was only natural for a young woman of her age; she had taken already more steps than expected. Although he was desperate to spend every second of her short life next to him, he would give her space. _"All in time, Legolas. All in time."_ Galadriel's voice echoed in his mind. "Do what you have to do. I will wait. But do not ask me to break the rules I am supposed to represent and protect."

Elaine nodded. It was only fair. The thought saddened her immensely, but she knew there was no other way. Legolas' statement was final and she knew better than question the judgment of her husband and Prince of Lim Aear. She had married him and there was nothing else that mattered; she had said so herself. They would find a way… somehow. She certainly preferred a life with Legolas than a glamorous wedding with someone that could never make her feel so complete. Everything had a price, as the Lady had told her. If that was the only price she had to pay… she would gladly do so. She sighed and started worrying her lip.

"What am I gonna tell them?" she asked Legolas, turning to look at him perplexed. It was something they had to think about.

"I know not," he answered with a sigh, looking equally troubled. "We will think of something." He offered her a small smile and gathered her in his arms. Elaine leaned into his chest, her cheek resting next to his.

"What have we done wrong?" she asked after a few moments of silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"We fell in love," Legolas answered after mulling over her question for a few moments.

"Is that so bad?"

"Bad or good, right or wrong… it happened. And I am more than glad it did."

Legolas kissed her cheek tenderly and Elaine smiled. She was more than glad too.

"Legolas, can we go back to the talan?"

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked with concern, assuming she had started feeling sick because of the wine.

"I want to take this dress off… it's constricting me!" she answered with a dramatic sigh and Legolas smiled slyly.

"I would be more than happy to assist you, my Lady," he replied in a mockingly formal tone and picked a giggling Elaine up in his arms, heading for their talan.

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**Please take a minute to review!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** I'm really, really sorry it takes me so long to update, but life is more than crazy right now and I hardly have time to even sleep! Many thanks to my Beta for saving my /ahem/ butt with her help but most of all to all of you who have decided to stick with "Lim Aear" and spend a few minutes of your time to review! You guys are wonderful!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT

**Chapter 22**

She was back home. Oddly enough, she felt like a stranger in the familiar surroundings of her room. It looked so empty; so cold; so lonely. She sat on her bed and hugged her arms. It would be the first night she would spend away from Legolas after those wonderful past days, and it felt so awkward. She shook her head and chuckled; how much used to him had she grown in such a short time to miss him already! She must be madly in love, then, without a doubt!

She got up and opened the bags she had brought back with her. She hated unpacking more than anything! First, it was utterly boring. And, second, it always sealed the end of a wonderful trip and brought back memories, which always left her with a sense of longing. She smiled when her hands found the dress she had worn two days ago at the Golden Wood's feast. She was actually surprised it was still intact; they weren't exactly careful when she had reached the talan with Legolas and they tried to remove it.

She sighed and sat down confused once more, as she recollected the words of the Lady at their parting. They had left the morning after the feast, because they had already stayed in the Golden Wood more than originally planned, due to the orc attack. The parting, however, had been more painful for Elaine than expected. She felt strangely sad about leaving the wondrous woods of Lothlorien and their beautiful city. So many things had happened in the Golden Wood that she felt she was leaving a part of herself under the great mallorn trees. The Lord and Lady of Lorien had officially bid their farewells to the company from Lim Aear, presenting them with gifts. The Lady had given Elaine a heavy leather-bound book, with the title written in Elvish. _"This is a book with the History of Arda. I give this to you, so that your children will not forget their parentage, when our kind walks these grounds no more. We shall not meet again, Elaine."_ Her words had puzzled her then, and they kept puzzling her now. What was their meaning? Why would they not meet again? Would the Lady leave the cavern system of Lim Aear? To go where?

Why couldn't they just talk plainly, those elves! She always had to mull over their sentences for a good couple of minutes before coming to the most possible meaning of their words. And they always waited patiently in silence, looking at her with those ageless eyes… _Well, they have all the time in the world, no need to rush,_ she thought with amusement, as she got up to continue unpacking. It was the afternoon of the next day, after they had parted from the Golden Wood, that they reached the city of Lim Aear and she had unwillingly parted with Legolas to go back home, before anyone started to get worried. Her husband was more than reluctant to let her go, but he didn't voice his feelings. He only held her in his arms for a long time and gave her a mind-numbing kiss, as if to give her something to remember; to make her come back. She snorted. As if she could ever forget him!! It was only two hours they were away from each other and she had to fight the urge to run back to Lim Aear quite valiantly! It would be a lie to say that she hadn't missed her friends and modern life, of course… The first thing she did when stepping in the house, was to turn on the TV! And then of course called her parents to tell them she was back from her 'trip with friends'. Her parents were delightfully surprised hearing the happy voice of their daughter once more. She had kept to herself for too long, Elaine realized with bitterness. And she had been more than unfair to her friends.

She got out her make-up bag and started placing its contents back on her vanity table. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. What was she going to tell her parents and her friends? Maybe if she told them the truth… Jessica would be shocked for a few minutes, but she would eventually drag her to Lim Aear to meet the 'elf Prince'; and then probably blurt something in the form of 'Freakin' hot elves! Can I have one??', which would be most inappropriate. And embarrassing. No, humiliating is more fitting. So no, Jessica should not know.

What about her family? Her sister would probably say something like 'Well, why am I not surprised?' since she always thought her odd and her father would just shrug and say 'I will not lie to you, I am very disappointed. But, whatever makes you happy. Does he have a good job? Will he be able to provide for his family?' and practical questions like that. He had always been the logical person. Her mother now… Elaine cringed at picturing her reaction. First she would start fighting for breath, clutch at her chest and pretend to be fainting. Then she would start the usual speech that she recited in every occasion of 'mischief' on her part, always slightly edited to fit the situation: 'You are no child of mine!! Oh, you will be the death of me! An elf?? You married an elf?? Did you not stop to think of your poor mother for a second?? Oh, my heart! George, some water please!' At this point she would collapse half-unconscious on a chair and continue after a few minutes: 'Why God?? Why must you torture me so! Where did you find this creature?? How could you marry him without telling me!! Have I raised you to act in such a manner?! Oh, I'm dying, somebody call the doctor!!' and the drama would continue to no end. She would be mad at her for a couple of weeks and then demand to meet 'the elf' (please insert a face of distaste here). Then she would look at Legolas from top to bottom, and say in a scolding tone 'I'm Elaine's mother. And I will be keeping an eye on you, mister.' She would probably even shake a finger at him! 'If you do ANYTHING to hurt my daughter… I'll chop off your ears and feed them to the dogs!'

Oh, the horror!! Hail the Drama Queen, Mother of Elaine! And they'd all know whom Elaine had inherited such a trait from! But no matter how hard she might try, her mother would always hold the scepter! She could be very overwhelming when she wanted, but only because she was overprotective of her children and loved them more than anything in life. However, Elaine could be spared the uncomfortable situation; she would not tell anyone. Legolas had made it clear anyway… she would find some other way to settle in Lim Aear… maybe if she pretended to move to another country far away…

"As I thought!" a voice chirped from behind her and she turned around startled to face her smiling friend. "You're finally back!"

Elaine stood looking uncertainly at Jessica for a few moments; they had not parted in the best of terms, after all. But when her friend pulled her in a suffocating hug, she relaxed and hugged her back smiling happily. Jessica pulled away and looked at her from top to bottom, genuinely surprised at the change of the bitter and aloof person she had left behind a few days ago… the person in front of her was the Elaine she had known all her life before Justin's accident; she was practically beaming!

"How did you know I was back?" Elaine asked confused.

"I saw the lights on and the gate of the house open," Jessica replied in a matter-of-fact tone, giving her a 'duh' look.

She grabbed her hands and laughed, feeling excited for having the old Elaine back. Elaine could only shake her head at her friend's odd behavior, but it would be a lie to say she hadn't missed her.

"My, look at you! Somebody had a good time!" Jessica exclaimed winking at her and Elaine couldn't help but blush. "Come on, spill it out!" she prodded her and pulled her down to sit on the bed with her.

Elaine wanted nothing more than to tell her everything and gossip and giggle with her best friend, relating every detail to her, but that could not be. So an innocent lie would just do.

"Okay…" she sighed as if in defeat. "I met this guy…"

"I knew it!" Jessica butted in and smiled triumphantly. "And?"

"And he's gorgeous, Jessica! He's so handsome and gentle and… and… I dunno, everything I have wished for in a man!" So far, she did not have to lie.

"Oh, finally!" Jessica sighed in genuine relief. "Thank God, Elaine, I had started worrying about you! So when will I meet him??"

That infamous devilish smile of Jessica that spoke of trouble. Elaine had to laugh.

"Someday…" she answered with a sad smile, knowing that Jessica would never be able to meet Legolas. Not any other person she knew.

But Jessica never noticed the change, because she was busy leafing through an old-looking book with strange inscriptions. Elaine's heart made a leap when she realized it and she froze.

"What's this??" Jessica asked puzzled and brought her face closer to the book, trying to make out what was written.

"Oh, um… it's a book I got from the university! I'll need it this year and I thought I'd started reading it from now, just to get an idea… you know…" she explained lamely and winced inwardly when Jessica fixed a disbelieving look on her.

Jessica could not figure out for the world why her friend would need Arabic in her History of Arts studies, but she decided to shrug the matter off. She had never cared about books anyway, and there were more important matters to discuss… for example Mr. Mystery Guy and what had happened between him and her friend!

"Never mind!" she said dismissively and got up. "Get up, you have one hour to get ready! We're going to a party!"

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He had tried everything: paperwork, strolls in the gardens, archery shooting, sword practice with Adanoth, riding… EVERYTHING! But whatever he did, his mind was always on Elaine! She hadn't been in Lim Aear for three days now and he was going mad! Was she alright? Did she miss him as he did? Was she thinking about him as well? Was she going mad every night when she found herself in the solitude of her room and the memories of their love-making replayed before her eyes? Who could have ever thought of it, that the famous Elven warrior of the fellowship, Prince of Mirkwood and now Lim Aear would be so much in need of a mere mortal girl! _If only you could see me now, Gimli_, he thought with amusement and shook his head. _I would never hear the end of it!_

And yet there was no reason for his anxiety. It was their mutual agreement to be separated for a few days, so that they would not overlook their personal lives and give some space to their relationship; Elaine would come back when she wanted and they would set a day for the official wedding and her coronation. Everything had happened so fast, that they did not have time to even realize it! So they had parted for a while and Legolas was supposed to look over unfinished business in Lim Aear, meet friends and go back to his everyday activities. Well, he had done so. He had taken care of everything that required his attention in Lim Aear, he had met his friends and went back to his daily routine.

But it all seemed so terribly wrong! He always felt unsatisfied and had the sense of something missing, until he realized that it was his heart: Elaine had taken it away with her when she had left. But he was experienced and wise enough not to seek her out; he was not some lad to run after her! He had chased her long enough and it was time for her to make the next move. He would sit and wait. Even if he went mad in the process.

So the fourth night, after they had separated, found him in his study, signing trade deals between the elves of his city to give them his authorization. He rubbed his temples; he had always hated such tiresome duties. He'd rather roam the woods like he did when he was younger, protecting the borders of the kingdom, killing orcs and spiders and… But those things would never be again. Middle Earth had ceased existing as he had once known it many centuries ago and his responsibilities had increased tenfold.

He was so deep in thought, that he missed the sound of high-heels striding over the marble floor as silently as they could. Their owner had to knock his heavy oaken door for them to be acknowledged. Legolas could not help but smile as Elaine appeared behind the door and rose an eyebrow with amusement when she bolted it quite emphatically for him to notice.

"Hi," she said trying to make her voice sound seductive and slowly walked towards his desk, swaying her hips as she did and running her finger nonchalantly over the furniture she came across.

"Welcome back," he replied, his voice betraying his amusement, which was cut short as Elaine unbuttoned her long coat and dropped it on the floor.

She bit her lip to keep from smiling. _Long live the 'little black dress'!_ she thought with amusement and satisfaction; it always did miracles when trying to lure a man. But the Princess of Lim Aear could not arrive in the palace hardly dressed, so she had covered herself with her long coat, earning more than a few curious glances on her way to the cave; who in their right mind would wear a long coat in the middle of summer? She had hardly noticed, though. She was so excited about the prospect of meeting Legolas again, that she paid little attention to such details. For three days she had attended every party possible, to make up for the ones she had missed –as Jessica had put it-, but although her body was present at those gatherings, her mind was always in Lim Aear, on a certain elf Prince… She did not know whether it was because they were now married, but she felt his presence so strongly inside her, that it was truly a miracle she had managed to last 3 whole days away from him! But when the morning of the fourth day found her alone in her bed, she could not take it anymore; she had decided to visit her husband the same night and attend to her 'wifely duties'; at which she had to giggle with nervousness: it still sounded so strange in her ears!

"Have you missed me?" she asked him leaning with her hip at the back of the couch and pretending to play with a strand of her hair. Both were dying to just lose themselves into each other's arms, but were resisting stubbornly. After all, teasing had always been a part of their foreplay.

Legolas leaned back on his armchair, propping his elbows on its sides. The amused grin returned on his face and he decided to play along.

"Hardly. I have been very busy. You?"

Elaine didn't bother to look up from her occupation with her hair and sighed dramatically.

"I went to so many parties… Met so many people… No time for thinking about you…"

Although the playful tone was evident in her voice, her words caused a sting to the elf. The thought that other men could enjoy the sight in front of him was a little disturbing.

"Were you dressed like this?"

Elaine looked up at that and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why, are you jealous?" she asked biting her lip to keep from grinning widely but Legolas would not give her such satisfaction.

"There is no reason. I care not who sees you _dressed_ in this manner; I am the only one who has the privilege to see you _undressed_."

The last part was emphasized not only by his tone, but also with a smug smile and Elaine could only shake her head in disbelief. _My, is someone possessive!_ she thought with amusement and bounced off the back of the couch to approach his desk. She took a few steps and leaned over his desk, the top of her breasts straining dangerously at the low V-neck of the dress and grabbing the attention of the elf across them.

"And… do you intend to use this privilege tonight?"

Legolas managed to tear his gaze away from her chest and locked his blue eyes with her green ones.

"By all means."

Elaine gave him a sly smile and slowly moved back to walk around his desk and stand in front of him. Legolas waited patiently, resting his hands on the sides of his armchair to keep them from reaching out and pulling her on his lap; the need to hold her after so long was unbearable. His breath caught in his throat when Elaine slowly slid to her knees in front of him, neither looking away from his eyes nor wiping the sly smile off her face, and started fiddling in his layers of clothes to find the string of his leggings. It was a matter of seconds before she untied them and exposed the burning flesh that had awoken the moment she had set foot in his study. He clenched his jaw as she ran her tongue along his length fixing him with a teasing look in her eyes; she loved to have the upper hand. But Legolas was willing not to give in to her so easily. He had more control than that.

Or maybe not.

He let his head fall back to his armchair with a groan as his aching length disappeared beyond her lips and tangled one of his hands in her thick hair. She always drove him crazy when she did that; she knew how to pull the right cords and make him lose whatever discipline he had acquired as a warrior. And that was exactly what Elaine wanted. She loved his taste, as everything else on him, and relished in the feeling of giving him such pleasure. Wanting to bury himself inside her more desperately than ever, he pulled her away from him and moved her to straddle his lap, as he crashed his lips on her. He was hungered from staying apart from her even those few days and he made it quite clear in the intensity of his kiss. Elaine kissed him back with equal fervor, burying her fingers in his golden tresses.

Legolas moved his mouth to her neck, leaving behind him her swollen lips. She gasped as he bit and nibbled on the tender flesh, marking her skin with his passion. He grabbed the straps of the dress and pulled it down to expose her as his lips reached her shoulder. He pulled back for a second to admire the beautiful curves of his wife, right before he attacked the bared breasts. Elaine arched her back, giving his pleasuring lips more access, and grinded her hips against him. Their being apart so long was fueling their desire and passion with desperation and aggressiveness; both of which was evident in their movements, as both tried to taste, feel, smell, touch and hear everything they had been deprived of the past few days.

The elven Prince could not hold himself any longer; he had to ease his hungry lust for her warm haven. He grasped Elaine's hips and she intuitively locked her legs around his waist as he got up. She wrapped her arms around him, her lips never leaving his, until she heard the sounds of several objects crashing on the floor; Legolas had scattered whatever was on his desk with his hands, leaving the space empty for Elaine to sit upon. She gave Legolas a bewildered look, but he just attacked her lips again, pushing her back to lie on the wooden surface. Although she was no match for Legolas' strong grip, she tried resist for a moment: what if someone heard the commotion and decided to check on it? And, indeed, the passing maid heard everything, but she knew better than knock and check on the Prince: as her hand rose to knock, the soft feminine moan cleared every concern for the Prince's well-being.

Elaine had started feeling light-headed from the unwavering attack of her husband to her body and had barely time to register Legolas' hand moving under her dress to crawl over her thigh and finally settle between her legs. It was only when she heard the tearing sound that she registered what had happened. Legolas brought the torn underwear in front of her wide with shock eyes, nuzzling the lacy material with a devilish smile on his face.

"My prize," he whispered in a husky voice, causing a shiver to run through her.

Without breaking eye-contact with Elaine, he opened the drawer under her legs and threw the underwear in, nudging it closed with his knee. Still wearing a smug expression on his face, he moved his hand once more under her dress and was not surprised to find that she was ready for him. Without a second thought, he pushed the cloth higher on her hips and entered her in one swift move, burying himself to the hilt. Elaine cried out, surprised at the sudden invasion, but more at the sudden aggressiveness of the elf. It was true that their love-making had not always been slow and soft, but never so desperate and rough. She clung to him, her fingernails leaving long parallel marks on his back, as she moved her hips in accordance to the rhythm he had set. Her hand reached out to grab the edge of the desk, her body trying to find something to hold on before she lost herself in the mind-numbing pleasure, but was gripped by Legolas, who entwined his fingers with hers and held their hands next to her lying form on the desk. Her back had started bruising from its hard surface, but she never noticed. Her attention was distracted by the soft moans of the elf above her and the deadliness of his blue gaze; it had always been unnerving, but when they made love, it seemed lethal.

It didn't take them long to reach their peak. Their desperate coupling served to satisfy the need and longing for each other, which had grown to suffocate them the past days. Neither of them could understand how it was possible to develop such strong feelings for another person in only a few days, but who ever understood love? Its mighty waves drifted them to the depths of its sea, too far from the shore, too close to their drowning. Legolas picked her up, settling them both on one of the couches, and they held each other quietly at the aftermath of their love-making; hearts still beating wildly, thoughts still racing through their minds, feelings still overwhelming them in their intensity.

How beautiful is love; how unknown the future. As they both nested in each other's arms, neither of them knew that they had reached the beginning of their downfall.

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **Wow… 150 reviews! I never thought it possible when I first posted this story! I would like to thank all of you wonderful readers for your kind support throughout the story, as well as my BETA Marisa who was there when I most needed her. We are slowly moving towards the end of the story… I hope you will stick with our company until then!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 23**

_Legolas looked around him at the massive trees casting their shadows upon him. He breathed in the earthy scent of the woods and smiled; they always brought him peace. _

_He turned his head sharply to his left as he caught a glimpse of red between the trees that fled quickly away. He grinned. His little star would never make it very far._

_He sprinted towards the direction she had disappeared and made his way through the woods, at times running, at times striding in a fast pace. The elven Prince was always excited when hunting a prey; especially if that prey was his beautiful wife. But he stopped confused after a while. Where had she gone? He should have been able to find her by now! Elaine was not known for her light-footing or her hiding abilities; it was always too easy to spot her._

_He turned his head again to the sound of light laughter somewhere ahead of him. He smiled to himself and started running towards the sound, becoming more aware of her presence with each step. He would sneak up on her and make her jump out of her skin, like he usually did; always earning the futile attempts of Elaine to hit him playfully, which most of the times ended up in holding her still in his strong grip and kissing her mindless. He parted the bushes in front of him as he finally reached her, excited at the prospect of putting his thoughts into actions._

_He froze. _

_The features of his face formed a look of horror as he stood unmoving in shock, unable to fathom the picture in front of him._

_His Elaine was kissing another man._

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Adanoth was startled to hear the thudding sound of arrows hitting the targets on the practice fields in the dead of night. No one ever practiced in the dark. Not that they couldn't see the targets; elves had perfect vision even at night, but it was custom to practice during the day.

Unless someone was troubled.

He approached the Prince with caution, noticing his frustration in the speed with which he fired his arrows. He had already heard him approach, Adanoth knew it; but Legolas kept attacking the targets with fury. It would be hard for any other person to notice the troubled state of the Prince. He always kept his emotions so well hidden, that many people even thought him a little aloof. To any other person, his moves would seem smooth and flowing, but Adanoth knew him too well to miss the rigid stance of his body and the abrupt, frustrated motions; but even then, his aim was perfect.

"Le prestannen," the captain remarked, but Legolas kept firing arrows. It was only after a while that he stopped and sighed, turning to finally acknowledge his childhood friend. /You (are) troubled./

Legolas had woken up terribly disturbed after the vision. His heart was racing rapidly and he was actually trembling; from fury or shock, he didn't know. But it had been impossible to remain in the confining walls of his room. He had paced back and forth like a caged animal, then tried to calm himself with some Miruvor. But the strong liquid did nothing to ease the burning sensation at the pit of his stomach and his heart kept leaping to start another race every time the picture appeared in his mind.

It was terrible. Blood, gore and death his heart could take; but the image of his wife kissing another man would haunt him forever. He tried to reason with himself, recounting the times Elaine had shown him how much she loved him. Maybe he was just disturbed with her leaving so often. Maybe he just missed her and was a little worried about what she did on the upper world. But he had faith in her. She had given up -or rather would give up later- so much to be with him; it was impossible to throw away all that so easily. Elaine was not such a woman and the vision was only a simple dream.

And then suspicions. The 'what ifs' and the possible scenarios that seed distrust in a relationship; why would it be any different for an elf? Don't elves love? Don't they doubt? Elves, humans… they all become equal under the reign of love and are ruled by the same laws, drives and urges.

And the elven Prince was madly in love.

"Gweriatha nín," he said in a frustrated voice and Adanoth blinked. /(She) will betray me./

"Ú-henion," his friend replied confused and watched as the normally calm elf threw the dagger that was moments ago secured on his belt at the tree several feet away, pinning a falling leaf at its trunk. /I don't understand./

"Elaine," Legolas told him and turned to look at the shocked expression of the captain.

"Surely, you must be jesting!" Adanoth exclaimed, unable to fathom how Legolas would ever think of something like that. It was plain for everyone to see how much the Princess loved him.

"I had a vision Adanoth!" he spat at him angrily through clenched teeth.

The other elf paused for a second, as if mulling over the new information. Legolas walked over to the tree and pulled the dagger out, twirling it in his hand; anything to keep him occupied and make the terrible vision go away.

"Visions can be deceiving, mellon nín," Adanoth told him after a while and Legolas shook his head sighing. /my friend/

"I do not have visions frequently, Adanoth; and when I do, they always come true."

"I find it hard to believe that you are questioning your wife's loyalty!" he replied still unable to fathom Legolas' reaction. "Has she given you any right to do so?"

Legolas paused at that. The truth was that she never had. If more, the past week she had been visiting him more frequently than ever, even though she was running out of excuses to tell her friends. Still… that nagging feeling at the back of his mind… He never liked the way women dressed on the upper world; or rather, he DID like it, but only when he was the only one to see it. No one should see his wife in the way he alone was privileged to do. Legolas was rather possessive. _Especially when it comes to Elaine_, he realized with dismay.

Was that how jealousy felt? That terrible uneasiness, that annoying nagging feeling that maybe he was being fooled, that burning pain at the thought of getting hurt by the person he loved more than anything in the world…? Was he being jealous because he knew she was among men that would undoubtedly try to win her attention, if not more?

"No, but I cannot rest when she is away", he finally admitted after some moments of silent thinking, sitting across from Adanoth on a wooden bench and covering his face with his hands.

Adanoth was extremely saddened to see his friend so troubled. It was such an alien picture to see the mighty elven warrior of the Fellowship kneeling before the power of love. Although Adanoth had probably more faith in Elaine than Legolas did at that moment, his friend's vision had troubled him. What could it mean? It was true that Legolas didn't have visions very often, but it could just be his uneasiness. How to be sure, though?

"Should I check on her discreetly?" Adanoth offered, prepared for the probably harsh reaction of his friend to his suggestion.

And he was right. Legolas' demeanor hardened and his eyes shone a blazing blue.

"That is out of the question," he answered icily and got up to step closer to his friend. "I shall not spy on my own wife."

Adanoth nodded and held the gaze of the elven Prince, watching as it softened in realization that the captain meant only good in his offer.

"Forgive me, I cannot control myself lately," Legolas said in a regretful voice and squeezed the other elf's shoulder in a friendly manner. Adanoth nodded and returned the gesture. He bowed his head respectfully and turned to walk away. The Prince needed some privacy to sort out his thoughts.

Legolas watched Adanoth as he walked away, leaning on a tree trunk with his arms folded. He shouldn't have gotten mad at his friend. He was only concerned for him and offered to help. But the truth was, he should have known better! An elven Prince would never follow after his wife to discover some possible infidelity on her part. It was unheard of! Absolutely humiliating and low! Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he felt the urge to see for himself that he was overreacting. He pinched the bridge of his nose. No, he could never do that. He had more dignity than that. Yet, it was the only way to reassure himself. But it would make it so painfully obvious that he actually distrusted her; that he had no faith in his own wife!

He sighed and looked at the rocky surface high above them. He felt so restless. Lim Aear, no matter how big, felt constricting and he yearned for the starlit sky and the full moon. He frowned at the last thought. Was it already a month since they had first met with Elaine? So many things had happened that it seemed like a whole year! And that was so strange for an elf who had lived for thousands of them… what was a mere month to him?

Maybe he should go up to the upper world. Just to see the full moon. The stars always made him feel better. _Yes, keep lying to yourself Thranduilion_, he thought bitterly, knowing fully well what the true reason was for wanting to visit the upper world; but he would never admit it. Not even to himself. It hurt his pride too much to do so and the elven Prince was sometimes too proud for his own good. Yet love had stolen away his pride exactly a month ago, on another night with a full moon like the present one. He had been unaware then, but the facts were slowly making themselves visible even for Legolas to see: he was blinded by love, fool and victim to its whims and he was unable to control it.

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"This is from the gentleman over there," Mark said to Elaine in a bored voice and set on the bar a delicate glass filled with a clear liquid. "Seriously El, I'm getting sick of serving you tonight."

"Oh man…" Elaine groaned as she rolled her eyes. Men were impossible! What part of 'I have a boyfriend' couldn't they get?

"Oooooooooh champagne!" Jessica exclaimed examining the glass and wiggling her eyebrows playfully at her friend.

Elaine smacked her friend's shoulder in irritation and raised her glass sending a fake smile to the guy sitting at the other side of the bar.

"Please God, don't let him come over," Elaine whined and turned her back to him to get her message across.

"Here he comes!" Mark said to her dismay and snickered with Jessica.

"Hey."

Elaine turned to face the impossibly muscular guy with an exasperated sigh. Did he really have to wear such a tight T-shirt? As if his muscles weren't visible enough!

"Hi," she replied unwillingly and prepared herself for her small speech. "I really thank you for the drink, but I have boyfriend, so…"

At this point most of them turned around and left. But some were a little more persistent; this guy was one of them.

"Well, he's not here right now, is he? I'm Tony," he said flashing her a killer smile. _Did he just twitch his muscles??_ Elaine thought and tried hard to keep the 'Puh-lease!' look off her face.

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you," she said shaking his hand unexcitedly, wincing at his strong grip. "Um, look… My boyfriend gets a little jealous too often and I wouldn't like him coming here and finding me talking to some guy…" she lied and shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'Sorry'; in fact, she was far from it.

"Baby, I'm not _any_ guy..." he told her in a husky voice and Elaine looked at Jessica incredulously, as her friend bit her lip to keep from laughing. Could he get any more ridiculous?!

"Oh-kay, whatever…" she replied laughing nervously and cleared her throat. "Seriously, you have to-"

"Hey babe, is there a problem?" came the baritone voice behind her and she turned around her eyes widening at the person who stood there.

"Uuuh… no! No baby, Tony here was just leaving," she said turning her head to look pointedly at the muscular guy who was glaring at the man behind her.

"Yeah, I was doing just that," he said in a frustrated voice and turned around to leave. "See ya around."

"Hope NOT!" Elaine exclaimed when he was a few feet away and threw herself to one of her best friends who stood laughing behind her. "Juan, I owe you BIG time!"

"I'm glad to be of service," he replied and hugged Jessica as Elaine let go of him.

"What a jerk!" Jessica exclaimed and shook her head. "Baby, I'm not _any _guy," she imitated the muscular man deepening her voice, making the other two laugh.

"So where have you been?" Juan asked Elaine, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Aww, Juanito… Our little girl is finally in love again!" Jessica cut in, in a cooing voice.

"No…" Juan said in genuine surprise. "My, he must really be the 'Perfect Man' to have caught your attention!"

Elaine only laughed, her cheeks acquiring a red hue at the teasing of her friends. _Well, he's more than perfect and certainly not a man!_ she thought, a sillyy smile appearing on her face. She couldn't wait until the party was over and she could finally visit Legolas. Unfortunately, that would not happen until the early hours of the day…

"I've been busy…" she answered enigmatically and Juan had to raise an eyebrow. "Don't ask," she said waving the matter off and smiling at the tall man in front of her. "I've missed you, you silly! I didn't know you were back from Cuba!"

"I've been here for a week now, but you there was no one at home when I visited you," he replied and Elaine winced inwardly as she noticed Jessica's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Nobody knew she was secretly meeting Legolas when she was supposed to be at home.

"Well, how are your salsa lessons going?" Juan asked, saving Elaine once more from an uncomfortable situation.

"Oh, you have no idea how much I'm enjoying them. You were right; I just love it, I never thought I would like it so much!" she said excitedly and Jessica groaned.

"Yeah, we've been to every Latin party possible!" she said in mock frustration and Juan laughed.

"Hey! I need practice!" Elaine whined and gasped startled when Juan caught her hand and twirled her around.

"How about some now?" he asked with a smile and Elaine laughed nodding excitedly. What better than practicing with a native!

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Legolas breathed in the cool night air and sighed. It was always good to be out in the open. He sat on the soft sand, tilting his head towards the starry blanket above him. His uneasiness seemed to flow out of him as he caught sight of the silver disc that stood proud in the middle of the sky, creating a faint path on the sea. The waves crashed on the soft sand in a steady rhythm that soon started to soothe his nerves.

For a moment, he forgot the reason he had come to the beach. The terrible longing for the sea that awoke at the scent of saltiness which drifted to his nose, overwhelmed him. All those years, he had resisted the Call of the Sea. Like the rest of his kind who had remained in Lim Aear, he felt his purpose on Middle Earth –now called Earth- was not yet over. Was it the prospect of meeting Elaine keeping him there all those years? Had he stayed because he was destined to find his other half in the face of a mortal? Was that his fate?

All existential questions fled from him at the sound of loud voices coming from the distance. He turned his head to see the number of people gathered at the building standing on the beach and had to wonder at how he had missed the loud music. Had his troubled state dulled his senses so much? He rested his chin on his knee, as he watched the young people dancing in the distance. He had been very confused when he had first seen the open-air building with the big garden, but had come to understand that it was a place where people gathered to drink and dance; like the elves did during their feasts.

His body suddenly tensed as he heard a familiar sound. Even from a distance he could not have mistaken it. Ears perked, he waited until it came again.

It was Elaine's laughter.

And it made his stomach clench as it painfully reminded him of his vision.

Without thought, he stood up and carefully made his way into the shadows behind those strange vehicles called cars that stood still in rows along the beach. He knew he would not be seen if he wanted. But he didn't know what HE would see when he approached. His vision had left him with a bad feeling and didn't like how things seemed to be repeating themselves in reality.

Just before reaching the high wall that surrounded the garden, he paused. What was he doing? An elven Prince hiding to spy upon his wife? Had he truly lost all sense? He slid down the wall and rubbed his forehead. What in Valar's name was he doing? Had he not the slightest faith in his own wife? Had he fallen so low as to follow his wife to see if she committed adultery? Was it even possible that he was considering his sweet Elaine able of such an atrocity??

_No, my little star would never betray me. She knows better than that. And she loves me as much as I do, to do such an unthinkable action. How could I ever question her faith to me? _

There it came. The breathless laughter again. All he had to do was peek around the wall and assure himself once and for all that he was overreacting; that Elaine was just sitting with her friends laughing at some comment they had made. He almost believed the picture he created in his mind, but that damned sound seemed to stand out so suggestively in the commotion of loud music, voices and laughter, as if calling him to face it. It kept bouncing off the walls of his head, creating a deafening echo in his mind; Legolas had to fight the urge to cover his ears like a madman does at the silent voices in his head.

His jaw clenched in determination. _Get yourself together, you fool!_ he chided himself and got up slowly. He was the Prince of Lim Aear. The famous elven warrior of the Fellowship. He would not be subject to such a madness. He would never bow to the vile sentiment of jealousy. Elves were ever above it and he was one of them; their Prince and a warrior. He turned around and took a step towards the beach.

"Juan, stop it! I'm getting dizzy!"

It only took a breathless exclamation of his beloved to make the elf stop dead in his tracks and turn around once more. One breathless exclamation and all his determination shattered like a crystal glass falling on the marble floor of his Halls. Jealousy is a terrible thing. Suspicions spread over your senses like a black veil and cover your mind in darkness. You cannot think, you cannot reason; you cannot feel either, nothing but that terrible burning feeling at the pit of your stomach that turns cold, as it travels through your veins and feeds the most primeval instincts hidden in the deepest and darkest parts of yourself.

Such a terrible thing is jealousy. Such was the force that made the elven Prince press his back to the wall and peek carefully behind it to find the source of his pain.

Only he didn't know what pain meant, until he faced the sight he dreaded most.

His wife was in the arms of a dark haired man who was holding her close, as they danced between other couples. But it was not that which made the darkness of rage envelop him and move his hand to the hilt of his dagger. The man was touching her hips; rested his hands on her waist; holding her so close, that it was hard to decipher how much their bodies touched, even for an elf; he was dipping her low, then twirling her to settle her again in his arms. Their dancing was so intimate; not even in the privacy of their room had they ever moved in such a way!

Legolas knew nothing about salsa; only that his wife and Princess of Lim Aear should act more decently than that.

His dagger was already out of its scabbard when a sound behind him brought him out of his reverie. For a second, he stared at the dagger confused, then paled with horror as he realized what he was doing: had he really gone as far as wanting to kill somebody in the upper world and putting his whole kind in danger? He crouched low and watched as the group of people passed him by and walked away. He was lucky for their drunken state; but even in his own shaken one, he understood it was time for him to go back in Lim Aear before anyone noticed.

Legolas felt numb as he made his way to Lim Aear. His mind was so clouded that he never noticed he had reached his study, until he was standing in front of the fire place, gazing blankly at the flames. It took a while for the elf to register what exactly had happened. And when he did, his fury hit him with such an impact, that he almost felt his breath knocked out of his lungs.

_Faithless woman!!_

How could she let another man touch her thus when she was married to him? How could the Princess of Lim Aear betray him and his people in such a way? He would have truly killed the man who touched her so openly! She was his wife and no one had the right to act in such a way with her, but him! Had she not realized she was now married and ought to act like the Princess she was?

Like… like his _wife_?

_How could you do this to me Elaine? Why, when I gave you everything in my power and more?_

But his hurt and disappointment was short-lived. His rage rushed through him like a tidal wave and his pride cried out in pain at the fatal wound it had received. He had been too kind to her. Too benevolent. She had never seen his darker side yet, but she would taste his anger in a very bitter way once she returned. He was no child to be trifled with and his heart was not a toy with which to play and then discard. She had overstepped her limits and she would pay the consequences.

He drew open the drawer to pull out the bottle of Miruvor he kept stored in it; he had grown too fond of the liquor lately. But he froze as a most unwelcome object came in view. His eyes darkened as he picked up the lacy material and memories of their love-making flooded his mind. _Are all women as hypocritical as you, my sweet little star? _Legolas thought in a cynical mood as he squeezed Elaine's underwear in his fist. _Whispering oaths of eternal love as they make love to their husbands and dancing like whores in the arms of another the next day?_

He got up and strode to the fireplace. He looked at the red piece of cloth in his hand with anger and disdain for a few moments before he threw it into the flames. A strange sense of calm enveloped him as he watched the material catch fire and burn slowly. As the flames licked and devoured the red lace, his pride licked over its wounds, healing them with his blinding rage in the process. A new Legolas was born from the ashes that were left after a while. A Legolas that would finally take his place as an elven Prince and a husband. A Legolas that would demand the respect and rights he deserved.

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**Sooo... what did you think? ;-)**


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: **I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I had an unexpected health problem that kept me away from my computer. I cannot thank you enough for your praises and your encouraging words; it was the most beautiful thing to find when I came back from the hospital and saw all these reviews waiting for me!

I have a request, however. Please leave an e-mail address or something to contact you, because I would like to reply to all of you individually; it's only fair to you, since you spend even a few minutes of your time to leave me a review! But since some of you don't, I would like to take up a little space here and resolve an issue that was raised. I'm aware that we don't all have the same views and opinions on marriage. Elaine is married, yes, but she is also 20 years old and has a life outside Lim Aear. She cannot disappear from the face of the Earth so simply! I don't find anything wrong with a young woman (although married) wanting to have fun and I don't see marriage as a cage that alienates you from your social life. This doesn't make Elaine's behaviour unrealistic, but only strengthens the issue raised in this chapter: different world views and the inevitable culture clash they cause.

Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 24**

Dawn was slowly making its appearance and breaking the darkness of night, when Elaine was finally able to escape from her friends and make it to Lim Aear. She was humming a song to herself, as she made her way through the gates of the palace, giving out greetings and smiles to whoever she met on her way. It had been such a wonderful night! Although it had started quite boring, Juan had arrived to save the day. Elaine was so excited at having danced the whole night, in spite of her presently aching feet. She had always liked dancing, but ever since she had started salsa lessons, as Juan had suggested, she had fallen in love with it.

She twirled and kept humming the tune of the Cuban song they had last danced to, until Juan's girlfriend arrived and took her place. She had gone back to the bar then and spent her time talking with Mark and Jessica. She hadn't danced with anyone else, knowing that some of her dance partners had not so noble intentions… at least with Juan she was sure to dance just for the sake of dancing.

But still, nothing had dampened her excellent mood and she couldn't wait until she told Legolas what a wonderful night she had. She smiled to herself; how she wished she could dance like that with him! How she wished she was sitting with him at the bar, laughing and talking with him, while he ran his fingers through her hair or kept his hand loosely around her waist! But she knew that none of that would ever happen. It was a knowledge that saddened her, but she had come to accept it; she wouldn't change her love with Legolas for anything in the world.

She asked a passing maid where Legolas was and she pointed her to the direction of his study. She frowned. Didn't he ever get any sleep? She was aware that elves required little of it, yet she couldn't help but worry; he worked too hard. The duties of his kingdom rested heavy on his shoulders and only Elaine knew what a true burden they were to the free-spirited elf. Late at night, as they rested in each other's arms after their love-making, they would always talk. Legolas was surprised at first when Elaine asked him if he was alright; if maybe all those responsibilities were too much for him and made him feel caged. Nobody ever seemed to care for his feelings. For everyone, he was the valiant member of the Fellowship, their Prince, a rock they could lean on and a bright beacon to lead them. Nobody ever cared to share his problems; or maybe they didn't dare to ask him, because he always kept himself so guarded. But Elaine was able to see through him and see the tiredness and bitterness that had settled within the once light-hearted wood elf; and by acknowledging it, she had helped him start healing it with her love.

She turned the knob slowly, attempting to sneak on him, but then realized how silly she was being; he had probably heard her already halfway across the corridor! She opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside his study, her eyes immediately being drawn to the tall figure standing in front of the fireplace. She closed the door behind her and stood perplexed for a moment, wondering why Legolas still kept his back turned on her. She could only see his profile, which betrayed nothing of his thoughts, and the slight tapping of his finger on the glass he was holding on his left hand.

"Legolas?" she called softly.

The elf didn't move.

"Sit down."

She paused mid-step at the cold tone in his voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked, confusion and concern evident in her tone.

"I will not repeat myself; sit down."

Uttering these words, he turned to finally face her and Elaine barely suppressed a gasp. The person before her could not be Legolas. She felt herself shrinking under the gravity of his gaze, fear seizing her heart. That was surely not her husband! His presence was towering over her, for the first time truly intimidating her; was this how his enemies felt at his presence? But why would she be his enemy tonight?

Most people know when to keep their mouth shut and do as they are told. But Elaine had a habit of pushing her limits, even if she was scared out of her wits.

"I demand to know what is going on," she said her voice shaking slightly, yet trying to appear brave in the eyes of her beloved. Like Legolas, sometimes she was too proud for her own good.

Legolas felt his hardly suppressed anger starting to bubble inside him once more. That insolent child! She dared to talk back to him!

"You have no right to demand anything. You should do well to remember your place," he told her, trying to keep the level of his voice low.

Elaine's mouth dropped. She could not believe her ears! What had gotten into him all of sudden? He had never talked to her in such a way! He had always been so gentle and sweet-talking to her…

"My place?" she exclaimed incredulously. "I am your wife!"

"Exactly!" She flinched at the volume of his voice. "You are my wife," the elf continued through clenched teeth, "and the Princess of Lim Aear! And you should make sure to remember this at all times!"

She was genuinely confused by then. Legolas was breathing hard, trying to keep his rage in control. By the Valar, he had never struck a woman before, but the urge to do it now was overwhelming!

"Can you PLEASE tell me what all this is about?" she asked, starting to lose her patience.

"Did you have fun tonight, my precious wife?"

She felt her heart constrict at the irony in his voice. What had she done to deserve such a treatment?

"I did," she replied in a small voice.

Legolas' eyes seemed to darken at her answer and he clenched his jaw, momentarily looking away. She watched mortified as the glass he held in his hand shattered with the force he threw it on the wall in a moment of blinding rage, wine dripping down from the white stone to stain the marble floor. She took a couple of steps away from him, frightened by his behavior. Had he gone mad??

"Have you no shame?" he seethed as he faced her once more, the features of his face now showing clearly for anyone to see the mad fury inside him. "You come in here and call yourself my wife when you were acting like a whore a few hours ago?"

"I beg your pardon?"

She could not believe her ears! Her kind Legolas calling her a whore? She was positively fuming by then, her hurt feelings at his behavior well forgotten at the words she heard.

"You should do well to beg my pardon, although I will not grant it so easily this time!" the elf replied, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that threatened to kill her.

"What in the world has gotten into you?" she exclaimed, not being able to find the reason for his anger towards her yet. The last time they had met, he wouldn't let her out of his arms!

"Have you already forgotten the man you were dancing with tonight?" His voice was once more heavy with irony. "I should not be surprised, apparently you have forgotten you are married as well!"

Elaine froze as the situation finally registered in her mind. Legolas had seen her dancing with Juan! But how? He was not supposed to come so close to humans of the upper world! Much less to a beach bar! And…- _Dear God, is he following me around?_ Shock filled her as she realized that her own husband had so little faith in her, that he was actually spying her moves! Her anger spread through her veins like a poison and her green eyes sparkled with renowned fury.

"I was only DANCING, like I danced with Adanoth and Lord Celeborn some days ago; you didn't seem to mind then! Have you been following me?"

Legolas chose to pretend he didn't hear the last part for the sake of his dignity.

"You call that dancing?" Legolas said laughing mirthlessly. "He was touching you everywhere!"

She groaned. It was about time. She had been wondering when and for what reason it would happen and it finally did:

The dreaded culture clash.

"Oh for God's sake Legolas, that's how you dance salsa!"

"I do not care how it is your custom to dance, my wife shall not be touched by anyone but me!"

After glaring at her for a good amount of time to get his point across, he turned around and leaned with his hands against the fireplace, closing his eyes to take a calming breath. If he did not, he was sure to kill her with his own hands.

"Are you jealous?"

His eyes flew open at the question coming from the woman behind him, the tone of slight amusement in her voice playing with his nerves in the wrong way. It was too much. Too much rage to hold even for an elf. Too much hurt pride for the elven Prince. A black cloud rose in front of his eyes, which enveloped his senses and reason in its darkness. She had to leave. She really had to leave, because, now, he was truly out of control.

Elaine realized her mistake when she saw the elf stiffen and his hands clenching the marble stone of the fireplace so hard, that his knuckles turned white. She just never knew when to stop. She felt ice settle in the pit of her stomach as Legolas slowly turned towards her. If looks could kill, she knew she would be surely lying dead on the floor by now.

"You will never step foot outside Lim Aear again. I will inform the guards right away. You are dismissed." He tried to make his voice sound as impassive as possible, as he walked over to his desk and gathered a stack of papers, arranging them in a neat pile.

If a truck had run over her at that moment, Elaine would have never noticed. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, since the tone of his voice left no room for doubting his determination.

"Have you gone mad?? My parents are coming tomorrow!" she yelled at him, feeling desperation gather up to form a lump in her throat.

"Get out Elaine, before I do something I regret!" he told her as calmly as he could, clenching his fists to keep them by his side.

"You cannot keep me a prisoner here!" The tears finally poured over her eyes, leaving wet trails behind them as they slid over her cheeks.

"Get out!" Legolas yelled bringing his fist down on the desk, cracking the wooden surface in the process. Elaine jumped at the strength exhibited by the elf in front of her, but the feeling of helplessness had covered all her reason.

"Dammit Legolas, I am your wife!"

The word 'wife' was enough to destroy the last threads of control he held.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!!"

The whole palace heard him. The whole city probably, too. And this time Elaine backed away from him like a frightened animal, running out of the door in tears.

Light-headed from the swirl of emotions inside him, Legolas sank in his armchair, covering his head with his hands. He thought that things could not get worse than that. He wanted to scream his rage, break every single object in the room and at the same time kiss Elaine so hard, that she would never think of anything else but him.

Not mere minutes after Elaine had left his study, a breathless warden came running to his study.

"Yrch, hîr nín!" he exclaimed trying to catch his breath. The distance of the borders to the city was a long one, even for an elf. /Orcs, my lord!/

"What are you saying?" Legolas jumped out of his armchair and approached the panting archer.

"Our wardens are holding them back at the borders!"

Legolas looked at the young elf in front of him speechless for a few moments. Why were the orcs attacking them again? Before their recent attack in Lothlorien, they hadn't bothered the elves in centuries. In fact, they had thought that the vile creatures had finally become extinct!

"How is it possible? How have they passed through Lothlorien?" he asked unable to fathom the news.

"They did not travel on land, my lord! They have built boats again and headed straight to the north-east shore of the Lake, miles north from Lothlorien!"

"Gather the army! Inform Daeron he will stay in charge of the city with a small number of archers and bring the people inside the walls of the palace!" Legolas gave out orders to the young warden who rushed to fulfill his lord's wishes. The elven Prince grabbed his weapons and ran to the court, where chaos had erupted due to the news of the attack. His heart felt heavy, as a sense of uneasiness spread through him, but he dismissed it quickly, concentrating on the upcoming battle. Jumping on his horse's back, he stormed out of the city with the elven army, which had gathered as quickly as possible at the short notice, to reinforce the small elven force at the borders.

You know what they say: it never rains, but it pours. And this time it poured a swarm of orcs with very, very bad intentions.

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**Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	26. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **Once more, I am really sorry for not updating sooner. I am facing some personal problems at the moment, which have kept my mind busy with other things. I cannot thank you enough for your reviews, they really lifted my spirits when I reached the bottom of all bottoms emotionally. I would also like to thank **Marisa** for doing a great job with the story. This is one of the final chapters; we're very near the end now. I'm sorry if it seems short to you, but it made sense to have it end here. I promise the next will be a long one!

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

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**Chapter 25**

"Lady Elaine! My Lady!"

The urgent tone of Belwen's voice coming from the corridor did nothing to awaken Elaine from the state she was in. Curled in a ball in one corner of Legolas' room, she had cried, unable to believe what had happened. The furious face of her husband appeared in her mind over and over again and each time a new flow of tears poured from her eyes. How was it possible? Was he the same gentle being she had married? What had she done to deserve his fury? She had only danced with a friend! How could he ever question her fidelity to him, when she was ready to forsake her family, her friends and whatever was ever known to her, to settle with him in Lim Aear?

No more tears were left to shed after a while and she stayed, curled as she was, staring numbly at the empty space before her, rocking back and forth on the cold marble floor.

"My lady?" Belwen's voice came this time from inside the room, and was very confused at not finding the Princess. Her eyes scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on the young woman's figure in the corner. Belwen froze for a few seconds, unable to take in the picture in front of her. Was it really as bad as it had sounded?

Of course she had heard everything. With their keen elven hearing, the whole palace had. But due to the circumstances, nobody had time to gossip; they were running around, helping the soldiers barricade the gates of the Palace once all the elven population of Lim Aear was safely inside the walls. It was the first time the capital of Lim Aear was under attack in centuries. And Belwen had a terrible, terrible feeling.

"My Lady?" she called again softly as she approached the woman. Elaine kept looking ahead of her, her eyes blank, long-dried tears creating strange patterns on her face. "Elaine?" she tried again, this time shaking her to get her attention.

The young mortal finally turned her head towards her and Belwen frowned. She had hoped not to see so much anguish and pain in those green eyes again, but such emotions seemed to live permanently in Elaine's gaze; and it was the same person who had driven them away, that had brought them back with reinforced intensity.

"He will keep me here against my will."

Belwen was surprised when she heard the voice of the young woman. It was hoarse from crying and had come out almost as a whisper.

"He will do no such thing." Belwen tried to reassure Elaine, but the woman shook her head sniffing, as new tears slid to add their trail in the abstract picture the previous ones had drawn on her skin.

"No," she said her voice breaking. "You didn't see him, Belwen! You didn't see his face! I only danced with one of my friends…"

Belwen could not find fault in Elaine. But neither did she in Legolas. Both were right and both were wrong at the same time. It was not their fault they were so different; that their _worlds_ were so different. She understood Legolas' jealousy; and she had expected it with dread. Never having loved so fiercely before, Legolas would be a force to reckon with if jealous. She had not known what he was capable of doing, but his reaction had come as no surprise to her: she had expected him to not be able to control his feelings. But at the same time, she believed he should have acted a little wiser; he was an elf after all, patience and control were innate virtues. But could one really tell with love? It was a force and law on its own and nothing could be 'expected' when it was involved.

Elaine, on the other hand, was not to blame either. She had done just what she had said: dance. But such an innocent act for someone of her age in the upper world could seem a sin in the eyes of the more conservative elves. True, they were not totally alienated and had tried to adjust to the new circumstances, but still, they lived in a cavern system away from the people of the upper world; and they had values that could not be forgotten overnight. Elaine should have known that, as the wife of an elven Prince and Princess of Lim Aear, she should act a little more reserved. But, maybe they expected too much from a young woman? Maybe they had pushed her too far and expected her to change what she was in a few days? She was only a girl in the prime of her youth; Legolas was an elven Prince who had never tasted love before and was lost in the strength of his feelings. Could either be blamed?

"Shhh," Belwen hushed Elaine and caressed her back in a soothing manner. "His Highness was just angry, my Lady. I am sure he has already regretted his words." But knowing the stubbornness of Legolas, she doubted that. However, she had to get Elaine to safety and all she could do at the moment was to comfort her.

"Come, there is no time for that now! We have to reach the caves at the west wing of the Palace," the elf told Elaine as she slowly pulled her up on her feet.

Elaine looked at her confused as she stood unsteadily on her feet, feeling dizzy from her continuous crying.

"The west wing?"

Belwen looked at her with furrowed brows. Had she not heard the commotion?

"We are under attack, my lady! We have to reach safety!"

Elaine's heart sank to her stomach, as she suddenly became aware of the chaos around her. She took a quick peek at the balcony and gasped. The city was in upheaval; elves were running inside the walls of the Palace, archers were lining on their length and guards either helped the people inside or reinforced the gates. The commotion in the Palace finally registered in her mind, but it took her a few moments to realize the truth of the situation: their lives were actually in danger!

She followed Belwen as they made their way into the crowded corridors in a shocked state. First, her fight with Legolas; now the attack. Did God truly hate her so much?

"Where are we going?" she managed to ask in her lost state.

"There is a secret passage at the west wing of the palace, which leads to the caves in the rocky wall behind it! We will be safe there, the orcs won't be able to find us!"

Elaine gripped the hand of the elleth harder, her face wearing a horrified expression. _The orcs won't find us? They are coming here??_ She felt her blood turn cold in her veins as realization set in and her sight blurred from forgetting to breathe. Finally, her body reacted and she gasped for breath, her lungs filling abruptly with oxygen and making her once more light-headed. She wanted to ask Belwen how much time they had, but her panicked state did not allow her vocal chords to comply with her wishes. Instead, she followed her numbly, until they reached the Great Hall, where Legolas' throne sat and dances took place; it connected with a large terrace, which overlooked the city and the Lake.

She halted abruptly and Belwen turned to look at her confused.

"Belwen, where is Legolas?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the view in front of her.

"Why, at the borders! My lady, have you forgotten he is the leader of our army?" Belwen chuckled uneasily. The behavior of the woman unsettled her for some reason.

"Then what are the orcs doing here?"

Belwen turned her head sharply to where Elaine was looking and paled at the sight of the black, roughly made boats with the yelling orcs in the distance, that were approaching the city's harbor slowly but in a steady speed. For the first time in her immortal life, Belwen truly panicked. She remained looking frozen at the approaching boats, her mind completely blank.

It was not hard for Elaine to recognize the orcs. Legolas had given her an accurate description and, although it was impossible to make out their figures from such a long distance, the waving swords and animal-like yelling left no doubt as to the nature of the boats' owners. Her eyes moved to the small number of archers on the walls that had already seen the enemy and were urging the guards to hurry in barricading the gates. She panicked. _Oh God, what are we going to do, what are we going to do, what are we going to do…_ she chanted in her mind, trying to make the wheels of her mind start working again. She turned her head to her left, toward the woods in the distance and the borders of the city. She could see the black boats that were resting at the shores there and figured out that it was where the army was keeping off the first attack. But the boats were so few and the ones approaching to their city were at least ten times more… _Is it a trap again?_ She thought, her stomach constricting in fear. How could they not see it coming after their last attack? She kept looking back and forth between the smaller and bigger army of orcs. Legolas had to be informed! Surprising even herself with the fire that suddenly flared inside her, she grabbed the tunic of an elf that was rushing past them, turning him around.

"Send somebody to inform the Prince that we are under attack and quickly! Is everybody inside the gates?"

The elf nodded meekly, too shocked at the display of authority coming from the young mortal.

"Good, gather everybody in the caves, we do not have much time!"

The elf looked surprised at the elleth standing next to the woman and hesitated.

"Do as the Princess says!" Belwen prodded him and both females watched as the elf bowed hastily and disappeared into the crowd. Belwen, awoken from her shocked state, grabbed Elaine's hand once more and pulled her towards the secret passage. "Bado ath i gathryd! Bado lim! Yrch anglennar!" she called to the elves around them, as they made their way to the west wing. /Go to the caves! Go fast! Orcs are approaching!/

Elaine had to admire the elven race once more. Even in that chaos, they managed to stay calm -at least on the outside- and organized. No panicked running, no stepping over people, no yelling; she could not even begin to imagine what would happen, if something like that had occurred on the upper world!

She turned her head to look at the Lake once more as they passed another large window and her face paled. They had already made it to the shore and were running up through the first houses of the city, burning whatever stood in their way! Would the army make it in time?

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Legolas grabbed the handles of his twin knives from his back and brought them in front of him, twirling them in his hands. Ducking gracefully to avoid the orcish blade, he slashed at the abdomen of the orc and swirled around to bury his other knife in the throat of another. Golden hair flying around him, he performed his deadly dance, killing orc after orc in the process. Being a warrior at heart, he usually enjoyed the fight, having the chance to rid the world of those worthless creatures. But that day, try as he might, his mind kept entertaining that nagging feeling that something was wrong. He performed the practiced for ages moves mechanically, looking once in a while around him, noticing the relatively small number of the orcs in the area.

Something was wrong. Even as stupid as they were, the orcs would never attack the capital of Lim Aear with such a small force. But… could it be a trap again? Had they underestimated their intelligence once more? Could the attack be a diversion to draw the army out of the city? His heart fell to his stomach as a picture of the city under attack entered his mind and his eyes widened.

_Elaine!_

Curse his stubbornness and pride! He should have let her return to the upper world! She wouldn't be in such danger if his hurt ego and terrible jealousy hadn't covered all his senses and reason!

He finished off another orc and gracefully swung himself on the low branch of a tree, pushing himself upwards to stand on it. Climbing with ease, he reached the top, gazing towards the city. To his relief, the gates were closed and he could see the archers lined across the walls; everything was fine. But it was as he turned his gaze towards the Lake that his blood froze in his veins. The black of the boats sailing slowly towards the city had covered the blue of the Lake like a swarm of ants and they were approaching the shores fast. Even if his army made it to the city, how could they get into the Palace? They wouldn't be able to use the gates, they would be probably crowded with orcs once they arrived.

_The east door!_ he thought with a small flicker of hope in his chest and proceeded to climb down the tree. They could use the hidden east door at the walls surrounding the palace, that lead through the practice fields to the east entrance!

"Adanoth!"

The Captain, pulled his sword from the chest of an orc, using his foot for resistance, and letting him drop on the ground. He turned to look at the Prince and noticed with concern the worried expression on his face.

"The city is under attack," Legolas told him hurriedly, while gathering as many arrows as he could from the fallen orcs around him. Adanoth's eyes widened but he kept silent. "I'm taking the army back to the city. We will have to make it through the eastern gate to the palace before they manage to breech the wall!"

"Are they so many?" the other elf asked him, dread in his voice.

"Aye, they are. Stay here and finish off the rest with the wardens. Once you are done, I want you to hurry back to the city; we will need all the help we can get!"

Legolas turned to leave when Adanoth grabbed his arm.

"What about Lothlorien, my lord? Should I send someone for reinforcements?"

Legolas shook his head.

"'Tis half a day's ride, Adanoth. They will not make it in time. The orcs are docking on the shores as we speak."

Adanoth numbly let the Prince's arm go and watched him gather the army. How could they not see it coming? This was the first time Lim Aear was in such an eminent danger. Never before had the attacks been so serious and organized. Had those wretched creatures spent all those centuries gathering forces and planning their attack?

Finally snapping out of his trance, Adanoth called to the wardens. They had to re-group and finish the remaining orcs quickly; their city needed them.

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**Reviews are more than welcome:-P**


	27. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: **I keep apologizing every time for not updating soon -as I have promised- so I really don't know if it would mean anything, were I to apologize again. However, this time it was truly a case of 'force majeure', since my computer decided to break down and I decided to drive my pump through the screen in a moment of... ahem... frustration. Anyway, I got my computer back just yesterday, so I will try to reply to your reviews some time this week. In the meantime, I thought I would post the next chapter, which was originally longer, but I decided to end it here... What, you know I love cliff hangers!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**

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**

**Chapter 26**

"Hîr nín!" the elf cried as he rode hard towards the elven army. /My lord/

Legolas pulled his horse to a halt for a brief moment as he approached the elf and motioned for the rest of the army to ride ahead.

"What news of the city?" Legolas asked, his heart thumping wildly in his chest in fear of hearing that the city had already fallen.

"The orcs have made it to the gates, my lord! The walls are keeping them back, but they found out about the gardens' gates at the west and some of them are trying to reach them! A small force of archers is already there, but they will not be able to hold them back for long!" the elf answered, his voice edged with worry.

"My wife?" Legolas asked, dread filling his heart at the thought of her coming to harm.

"Her Highness is moving to the caves with the rest of the elves, my lord," he answered and a look of relief passed over the Prince's features briefly.

"Aphado nín!" Legolas told the elf and leaned to whisper at his horse to run fast; to fly through the woods and over the fields. Not for the sake of his people; he had been fighting countless years for them. /Follow me!/

This time they had to fly for the sake of his beloved.

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"Belwen, what's wrong?"

Elaine was on the verge of tears. The secret passage was hidden by a moving part of the wall, behind a big marble statue. Like the Gate leading to the upper world, it could only open with the leaf or the password spoken by an elf, and once locked from inside, it was impossible to open no matter what. But the entrance was small and the passage leading to the caves fit hardly two people in width. The whole population of the city was hurriedly making its way to the caves, but no matter how fast they moved, it was still difficult for everybody to just run inside and secure the rocky wall.

Elaine was bravely waiting with Belwen for everybody else to go inside before she did, but the line had stopped moving for some reason. She was their Princess, therefore had to secure everybody's safety before she cared for her own; but above all, she was human, a frightened young woman who could barely keep her body from trembling at the prospect of losing her life. She suddenly realized she wanted so badly to live; she had so many things to do! She couldn't just die at the hands of fairy-tale monsters!

"I know not, my Lady," Belwen answered equally scared and tried to peer over the crowd gathered in front of the passage to the source of the delay.

A loud crash turned everybody's heads around and the yelling and shouting coming from the Halls behind them drained the colour off their faces. The archers appearing around the corner were yelling at them in elvish, but Elaine was in too much shock to comprehend anything with her very limited knowledge of the language.

And then, there was chaos.

The elves started running away; the archers were still yelling and shooting arrows; Belwen was pulled away by the crowd, screaming frantically for Elaine and trying to reach her… But the young mortal looked in horrified shock at the black creatures that the archers were trying to keep off, unable to move, speak, or even think.

Elaine would never forget the first time she came face to face with an orc, until the day she died. It almost looked fake; those 'things' belonged to some horror movie! But their movements were too smooth to be wearing a costume, the smell of their black blood too acrid to be fake, the bleeding wounds they caused to some of the elves too real… She had never seen so much blood and death in her life; actually she had never seen any at all, unless curled upon her couch in the safety of her living room and watching the news. How alien had death seemed to her until then… until she found herself in its grasp! It was too much for her. Too overwhelming. Too unbelievable. Too unfathomable. A little too of everything. Standing there, in the middle of the panicked crowd and a few feet away from the battle, her worst nightmares came true.

The world was certainly not a safe place.

Monsters really did exist.

And she would very, very soon die.

She would have, if the arrow coming from behind her hadn't embedded itself in the head of the orc that was running towards her and stopped him literally dead in his tracks. Suddenly snapping out of her trance, she looked wide-eyed at the creature laying in front of her feet and let out a scream as realization of the situation hit her. A strong arm wrapped around her body and pulled her away, dragging her behind them.

"Stay behind me!"

The wonderful feeling of relief flooded her as she found herself behind Legolas, and breathed in deeply to clear the fog off her mind. Nothing would happen to her; everything would be fine. Her husband was finally there and he would protect her.

She was safe.

Legolas fired arrows in a deadly speed, pushing the orcs back. They had made it just in time, as the orcs had broken the palace's doors and ran inside the Halls. The small elven force, which had stayed to protect the city, would not have been enough to hold them back, but had at least delayed them until their elven comrades had reached them from the east entrance of the Palace. The orcs, seeing the growing numbers of the elven warriors, were slowly retreating, but kept fighting nonetheless. He tried his best to concentrate on his moves and not be distracted by the presence of Elaine behind him. His worry for her well-being would be disastrous, if he let it consume him; he had to be perfectly focused if he wanted to protect his wife.

It wasn't long before the orcs were pushed back to the palace's main entrance and were driven to the wide staircase, which lead to the court. There, with the advantage of being in a higher position, the elves unleashed a rain of arrows on them, watching their malformed bodies fall dead on the ground. Elaine had moved away upon reaching the first fallen bodies of orcs, but an angry reminder of Legolas to stay as close to him as possible had made her overcome her shock and step over the dead creatures. Slowly she had acquired a sort of immunity to the sight and couldn't help but stare in awe at the fighting abilities of her husband. It was one thing to hear about them and a completely different one to see them in real life! Pulling her gaze away from Legolas for one second, she looked around her to assess the situation…and caught the black mass coming from their left as quietly as possible: some orcs had breeched the gardens' gate at the west, had found their way into the corridors of the palace and came out from the opposite side at their left; where no one had remained to protect the building.

Time could really slow down, Elaine realized.

Everything moved as if in a dream: languidly and clearly. She could clearly see Legolas' back, as he was fighting off the remaining orcs, that had attacked with renewed force at the sight of their kind coming from inside the palace. But Legolas had not seen them yet. Neither had any of the other elven warriors, caught by surprise at the sudden attack of the orcs, which were until now running for their lives.

Only Elaine stood frozen watching the arrow that sailed fast toward the elven Prince.

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Ok, I know you officially hate me now... :-P As always, I love to hear from you guys!**


	28. Chapter 27

**Author's Note:** I thought I would update within a week for a change! I cannot thank you enough for your support... I never thought this story would ever reach the 200 reviews! I really, really love you guys! Many thanks to my BETA Marisa as well, for her precious help!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

/translations/

**

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**

**Chapter 27**

The black arrow was flying towards Legolas like a black serpent of death, ready to sip the life out of her golden Prince; her beloved husband.

_Your love could be the one to save him from what you saw…_

Elaine's mind filled with the picture she had seen in Galadriel's mirror, with Legolas lying dead in her arms from an arrow.

_Everything has a price. A price you will both have to pay._

Legolas would lose his immortality.

And she would lose her life.

She would very much like to say that what she did was an act of bravery. An act of unconditional love and epic courage. But Elaine was only an everyday girl of 20 and when everything happens so fast, you don't think too much; you just act.

So, Elaine instinctively stepped in front of Legolas to protect him from the quickly flying arrow.

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Legolas' body went numb, his heart stopping at the sickening thud coming from behind him. Turning around he dropped his weapons and caught Elaine who was slowly sinking to the ground looking bewildered at the arrow protruding from her chest.

He never noticed the elves becoming aware of the group of orcs at the left and rushing to fight them back.

He never noticed the calls of his soldiers to find a healer, for the Princess was hurt.

He never noticed anything, but the heavy darkness upon his soul, as he felt his world crumble and fall around him.

Elaine could not react from the pain. It was so unbearable that she had stopped trying to breathe. Her vision became blurry as the lump in her throat finally found a way out through her tears and a small whimper escaped her. Instantly, Legolas' hands were gently cupping her face and looking at her completely lost; for the first time in his life, he truly didn't know what to do.

Her body protested to the lack of oxygen and she unwillingly sucked in air. She was surprised that the pain had diminished to a burning feeling, but it was so difficult to breathe! She felt like she was drowning, her lungs and throat filling with a liquid that was chocking her.

Blood. She could never mistake its metallic taste.

"Stay with me Elaine," Legolas' urgent voice broke into her foggy brain, when she closed her eyes, giving into the heaviness of her eyelids.

Legolas looked up as the protective circle created around them broke to let the healers approach the woman in his arms. They knelt next to him, a frown upon their face.

"Save her… I beg of you…."

The healer stopped probing Elaine's injury with his skilled fingers and turned confused at the strangled voice. He looked with surprise at the broken figure beside him; if he didn't know him since he had been a child, he could never tell it was the Prince of Lim Aear. He looked paler than Elaine herself. How to inform him that his beloved was beyond saving?

"My lord…" he began and sighed. "My lord, the arrow has pierced her lung and 'tis filled with blood. Even if we remove the arrow, we cannot stop the internal bleeding…-"

"For Valar's sake, do something!!"

The healer flinched at the volume of his voice, but did not move. There was nothing they could do. Nothing to save the poor girl, who had given her life for the Prince. His head turned to his right, as an elleth pushed her way through the bodies of the soldiers upon hearing the news. Belwen froze at the sight that greeted her. She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, as her eyes filled with tears. It could not be happening… It was not true! The healer got up and held her away as she tried to approach the couple, motioning for his two assistants to move away and give the couple privacy for their last moments together. There was truly nothing they could do for the young Princess; her wound was fatal and trying to remove the arrow would only shorten her little time left, as the blood would leave her body more freely. Legolas glared at them, frustrated at his helplessness.

"Will you not even try?" he told them through clenched teeth.

"We cannot…-"

"I will not let my wife die!" he growled at them as he grabbed the arrow in a moment of desperation with a steady grip and proceeded to take it out. Elaine's scream, as he tried to move it, made him withdraw his hand as if it had got burnt and he immediately held her close again.

"Forgive me, ël tithen nín," he whispered as his desperation finally sank in and hit him with magnified force. /my little star/

He was losing her. And there was nothing he could do. For the first time in his immortal life since the loss of his mother, Legolas let the tears fall from his azure eyes without shame.

Elaine's dizziness from the sudden pain had slowly gone away, but the confused state in her mind would not allow her any coherent thoughts. She was getting cold. And she was aware that she was dying. She felt so scared, so alone… The choking feeling was growing stronger and she suddenly felt so sorry for everything… Sorry for her family and good friends that would be devastated once they learned of her death… Oh her poor mother would follow her to the grave for sure! But most of all, she felt sorry for Legolas… Sorry that she had met him and that she had destroyed his peaceful life…

Something warm trickled on her cold skin and she raised her eyes to Legolas' face. He was crying! She could never imagine the invincible Prince cry and the image before her unsettled her even more. So she was indeed dying… She was indeed tearing his heart, piece by piece, in the agonizing slowness with which she felt herself surrender to the arms of Death… Gathering all her strength, she tried to talk… to tell him that she was sorry… that she loved him… that she didn't want him to grieve over her death… but the gurgling sound coming from her throat sounded nothing like what she wanted to say and the tears fell more heavily from her eyes.

"Shhh… do not talk, my love. Everything will be alright, I promise…" the broken voice of the elf above her said, as he saw the blood trickling from her mouth. She was cold in his arms and he could feel life slipping away from her, as she coughed from the dark red liquid that choked her. Legolas wiped the blood running from her lips, as if the action would make it stop. He looked at the blood on his hands, as if seeing the coppery liquid for the first time. It was such an unfathomable thought that it belonged to his wife; that along with the red substance, life quickly seeped out of her as well.

He held her closer at the terrible thought, feeling her shiver and she managed a smile at him. She was feeling cold, he could tell. Her skin felt frozen and the beating of her heart had grown unstable. _What have I ever done to you? What?_ he silently asked the Valar above him, his desperation growing with every passing second. He was losing the only woman he had ever loved and he was as helpless as a small child! So much strength, so many skills, so much fame and so many battles won for nothing! Nobody had ever won in the battle of Death and even the famous elven warrior of the Fellowship could do nothing to save his beloved against it…

"Do not leave me, meleth nín… Do not fly away from me, for not even death will ever ease my pain…" he told her through sobs and held her tighter.

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Adanoth sprinted up the stairs through the slowly dying battle around him and approached the gathered crowd with curiosity. His heart fluttered as he couldn't locate Legolas with a quick scan, the Lady's words appearing in his mind. _Valar, do not let him be hurt!_ he prayed silently as he pushed his way through the elves.

But seeing his best friend cradling the limp body of Elaine in his arms, rocking back and forth with the intensity of his sobs, whispering incomprehensible pleas in her ear… he truly wished for his friend to have been fatally wounded instead of Elaine. Death would have been gentler to Legolas than his pain and his grief.

He raised his glittering eyes to Belwen and she broke away from the healer holding her, to sink herself in his arms. There would be no end to the grief in the elven city. Both for the Prince and the young Princess.

Elaine had stopped feeling cold now. How much time had passed, she could not tell. It seemed whole hours for her, but it could have been only minutes for all she knew. The pain had stopped. The floating feeling had returned stronger and she welcomed it. She felt tired, so tired and weak, yet she gripped Legolas' hand with a strength that turned her knuckles white. She could hear him crying above her, but she could do nothing to comfort him. Her vision blurred, and slowly, she felt consciousness slipping away…

"Elaine…? No, no, Elaine stay with me! You can fight it, my love!"

Legolas' moves were frantic as he felt her heartbeat dying out. He held her, kissed her, rubbed her frozen skin, but her eyelids kept fluttering closed. The realization that she would truly die and he would never feel her warm touch, or see her beautiful smile, kiss her full lips or laugh at her pouting face made his desperation turn into insanity. He had accepted the fact that she would die in a short time, merely a blink of an eye in his immortal life, but not so soon… not so soon! They had so many things to do together and he had so many things to learn about his wife! By the Valar, they had been married for only a week, she could not leave him! His heart could not stand it if she died! He froze his futile attempts to bring her to life, as he felt her hand squeezing his own tighter.

He watched with tearful eyes as Elaine moved her hand with difficulty over her heart with the last coherent thoughts left to her and mouthed the words 'I love you'.

"I love you too, ël tithen nín… I beg of you, do not leave me, my love…"

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

And then silence.

Legolas felt his wife's wrist and neck desperately for the faint pulse that kept her in life, but there was nothing. He moved his hand over her heart, unable to believe that she was gone, only to find it silent as well.

"No… No, Elaine look at me! Elaine! Come back to me, Elaine!"

Adanoth and Belwen watched mortified as the blond elf clutched the dead woman in his arms and cried with muffled sobs, as he hid his face in her neck. The elleth started sobbing, too, in the Captain's arms, but Adanoth could do nothing else than stare numbly at the scene before him. He could not believe it. The Valar could not be that cruel.

Nature seemed to be more silent than ever. Nothing could be heard, except for the rattling armor of the fleeing orcs. The trees were silent. The water had stopped its murmur. The flowers bowed their petals in grief.

The cry that came out of the Prince's lips pierced the air and echoed inside the cavern system of Lim Aear. The sound was inhuman; filled with pain, anger and desperation. Even the unfeeling beasts who had caused it, turned their heads startled at the alien sound.

And some miles away, the Lady of Light sank in her husband's arms as she moved away from her powerful mirror, her cheeks stained with her silver tears. Lord Celeborn turned his eyes to the leafy canopy of the mallorn trees, like he once did to the sky.

"So it has happened. The time of the elves has finally ended."

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**The end?**


	29. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: **Wow, I don't think I've ever got so many reviews! Thank you so much guys, I'm really surprised everytime to see how much some people love this story! I'm very sorry I've been away for so long, but I've been more than busy. As most of you have guessed, the last chapter was not the end... Some things need to be resolved and that will happen in the next couple of chapters. I would also like to thank my BETA Marisa, for making this story look good!

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

**

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**

**Chapter ****28**

Her whole body felt numb. She was floating in that wonderful world between consciousness and unconsciousness. It was a calming feeling of peacefulness that enveloped her senses, caressing her like a light breeze and carrying her away with it as if she were a light feather.

Voices.

Oh, why didn't they leave her alone? She liked it so much here… She was flying over that swirl of colours that created the painting of her dreams.

Dip…

Rise…

Dip…

Rise…

And the swimming in her wonderful sea of senselessness continued, swift like a dolphin, light as a small seahorse. But the voices started sounding louder… closer… and she could not fly anymore… nor swim. She felt her body heavier, her senses more awake.

_No… no… let me stay here!_

"Elaine… wake up… you have to wake up, sweetie…"

_Mom??_

Falling back into consciousness was a painful experience. The bright light was blinding her even with her eyes closed and the pain… oh, the pain seemed to stretch on to every inch of her body! Her throat was dry and sore and her head felt as if it weighed a hundred tons.

For a moment, she blinked confused. Where was she?

As her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she moved them from the smiling form of her mother sitting on her bed to her surroundings. It took her unsettled mind a few minutes to register the facts, but her fogged mind finally recognized the place she was in.

_A h__ospital??_

She was in a hospital room! But why…-

_Legolas!!_

The flood of memories rushed in her mind with such an intensity, that made her dizzy. She struggled to get up and clutched frantically at her chest, the doctors rushing to her side at her abrupt movements, to keep her down.

"The arrow… did you take it out? Where is he, mom? Where is Legolas? No, let me go!"

Her voice was coarse and groggy; she almost didn't recognize herself. What was going on? Had Legolas taken her to a hospital? She thought she was dead! What of Lim Aear? Was it safe?

"Easy Elaine! I don't know anything about an arrow, but we did remove your appendix," one of the doctors told her, as he pushed her down on the bed. "Now, you better stay in bed, or I fear we'll have to stitch you up again!"

There was no need for Elaine to be told to stay still. She had already frozen, her eyes widening at the doctor's words and the lines on the cardiograph beside her reaching their peak. The doctor motioned for the nurse to get a sedative shot; the patient was in a fragile state at the moment and psychological abnormalities would not do any good. Elaine didn't even notice the commotion around her, she was staring ahead with a blank look, shaking her head in disbelief. It could not be possible… No, they were surely lying to her…

"But… but I had my appendix removed six months ago… and… and… you were in France, mom! Dad, please tell them! What happened to the elves? My husband, I have to go to my husband…"

She was crying by now, mumbling to herself like crazy people do in their state of delirium. But it was true! The past month was true! How was it possible? She had had the operation six months ago!

"Oh, my child! What have you done to my child!"

Elaine had long now blocked the scene developing around her. A nurse was trying to revive her mother who had fainted, her father was worriedly asking around why his daughter was blurting out such nonsense, but, somehow, the doctor's words managed to break through the mist in her mind:

"Don't worry, her state is normal. Some patients have hallucinations because of the sedation and the drugs for the pain… she will come around!"

_A hallucination… all a hallucination… God, please don't be so cruel to me…_

A hallucination?

Was it all a dream? A creation of her mind?

_No, no, no…_

A whole month! A whole different world! How could it all be a dream? So much pain… so much fear… so much love… No, there _had_ to be some mistake!

She turned her eyes to the window on her left.

It was snowing.

So it was true. It was February.

It was all a dream. A hallucination. The love of her life was a creation of her own mind.

Grabbing the bowl beside her, she emptied whatever little she had in her stomach.

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Being left alone with your thoughts is a dangerous thing. Things become so crystal-clear, that you could claim you found the reason and meaning of life. Or they can mess up so much, that you start losing ends and beginnings; you don't know where you started; you don't know where you'll end. Elaine, however, was sure she would end up in a mad house if she did not find a logical explanation for what had happened.

In the darkness of her hospital room she had cried; and cried and cried until she had no more tears left. Never before had she felt so lost. Everything and everyone around her passed before her as if in a daze; as if she was trapped in the darkened corner of the ceiling and watching everything from above. She could still not believe it. Yet, everything showed it had been only a dream. But how, when she still felt her heart beat so strongly? How when she had tasted him and his taste still lingered on her lips? How when in her loneliness she could recall his warm embrace and the whispers in his musical language… Whispers she would never hear again…

How…? Why…?

Would she ever know?

Was it possible… was it possible that her mind had created such a world? Such a wonderful race…? Such an amazing husband…? Had her twisted mind put her through all this pain and strife because of the sedation drugs? All those emotions, all those sublime feelings… how could a mind create all this without having experienced it?

Was she cursed to live in the memory of a mere dream? Cursed never to find love again, except in the blue eyes of the creature she had fabricated in her mind? Punished to recall his smile, his voice, his touch, taste, scent, his _everything_, when the darkness of night would leave no room but for dreams and memories?

How…? Why…?

Would she ever know?

A few days later, the ride home from the hospital was a haze for Elaine; as was everything else. There were no sounds; no colours, smells or tastes. The world around her was a grey mass of nothingness and she was drowning deeper in the dark recesses of her mind… Sliding slowly inch by inch…

Until her eyes happened upon the desk in her room and she became fully aware of the world around her with a blinding intensity.

The blood drained from her face.

"Angie…"

Her erratic breathing made her sister's name come out in a whisper.

"Angie…!"

Hearing the cry of her sister, Angie rushed in her room to find Elaine in a shocked state.

"El, are you ok? El… what's wrong?? Mo...-"

"No, no, don't call her… Please…"

Angie watched her sister sink on her bed, looking somewhere ahead, as if she had seen a ghost. She kneeled before her, caressing her arm to calm her down, but she realized to her dismay that Elaine was actually trembling.

"Elaine, I'm calling mom…-"

"Where did you find this book?"

Elaine's broken voice halted her mid-step and Angie turned around to look puzzled at the source of her sister's turmoil: it was a worn-out, thick, leather bound book sitting in a prominent position on her desk. Why would a book upset her so much?

"I don't know El… it's your book. How should I know?" she told her shrugging.

She watched as Elaine slowly got up and approached the desk warily; as if the book would launch at her and bite her. She carefully ran her fingers over the cover, tears running down her cheeks.

"Elaine, what's wrong?" her sister asked her softly, her heart aching at the anguish on her face.

"I… I thought it was a dream Angie… That I would never see him again…"

But what had happened? How had she gotten the book if it had all been a dream…? Elaine was beyond confused and relieved at the same time.

How…? Why…?

Would she ever know?

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**Hmmm... Anyone can guess what happened?**


	30. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** Well... this is it. The final chapter. I never thought this story would have so many faithful readers when I first posted it... So a HUGE thank you to all of you, who have been with me through this journey, encouraging me in my first attempt at LOTR fanficton. Words cannot truly express my gratitude. I would also like to thank **Ivy** for being my BETA in the first chapters of this story and, of course, my wonderful **Marisa** who worked on the rest of the chapters, giving her precious advice on the way.

A last comment before you move on to read the chapter. I have to admit I don't like the use of songs in stories, unless they have a certain importance for the chapter. In this final one, I had to use a song that would trigger Elaine's memories and move her into action, creating an irony out of the situation she finds herself in. I tried to avoid it, but the plot itself was based on it, so I just used a few phrases here and there, the ones that made Elaine ponder on some things. Moreover, I believe everyone knows "Immortal" by Evanescence, so there was no need for me to use all the lyrics.

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

_italics: thoughts_

_"italics": lyrics of song_

/translations/

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**Epilogue**

It was truly unbelievable. After so much time, one would think it would diminish. Just because she got used to it. But did she really? Even if she told herself the same things over and over again? Even if she experienced the same feelings? Even if the initial shock was now gone and she was filled only with sadness; complete, profound sadness?

But love is like the sea: tranquil and tremendous; calm and raging; serene and stormy; deep and shallow; warm and calm; beautiful and terrible; desired and feared. It changes according to weather. Or your perception of this natural force; how familiar you are with its blue liquid weight. The first encounter is always marked with awe at the unknown and excitement at its discovery. Then, as time passes, you face its peace; and its wrath. Either gliding gracefully on its serene surface or fighting in the raging waves. It's up to you whether you fall in its deep abyss forever or survive the storm. And as the old sailor, you learn to love it, accept it until you become familiar with it and the excitement is gone. Then another feeling develops: respect. Respect for the bond you share and the experiences you've been through while travelling on its waters. Nothing strikes you as strange anymore. You have no fear of the unknown, because it is all familiar and expected. The peacefulness and the storms; the shallow and deep waters. You feel secure and safe in its embrace even at its darkest moments.

And so Elaine travelled on her sea the past six months; on her love. She was the old sailor now, having experienced the calmness and the storms and the tides... She was fully aware of them now that the memories replayed before her in clear cut, colourful stills. And she became all too familiar with it. She learned every inch of its surface. The pain had become a habit but she could not let her love go. The peace it offered with that blanket of security and comfort around her arms were not easy to let go.

It was while in such musings that the rush came back. The intensity of the feelings hit her with such force, that she was left as breathless as the first time she discovered them. The passion returned; the itch on her fingers to touch his skin, the thirst of her lips to drink in his essence, the desire to get lost in his arms... And it was painful to know that she would never again experience those bad, good, terrible, beautiful, small and majestic, important and trivial things that constructed her world.

Even after all this time, she was still affected by the thought of him. She could still feel the burning and the urge to let him take her, to the place where all she could see were the sapphires in his eyes and all she could hear was the symphony of his whispers and ragged breath. It was those seconds of utter abandon when they truly saw each other. When all barriers, pride, insecurity and fear were gone and the only thing left was the real 'them'. The real 'her'. The real 'him'.

Her immortal.

As the first notes of the song reached her ears, she got up groaning to turn off the radio.

So ironic.

"…_'cause your presence still lingers here  
and it won't leave me alone…"_

The lyrics seemed to mock her. The words fell heavy as stones on her already wounded heart. Yet, some sadistic force inside her stayed her hand. She had had enough torture the past six months. Enough time to think. Enough time to hurt. The book was always glaring at her from its corner. As if it dared her to believe; to believe that it had all happened and that it was not a sick fantasy of her mind.

But she was afraid. She had already been in her beach house for a week, as summer had inevitably come, yet she had never come close to its sandy gold. Especially close to the rocks, that once led her in her paradise. She didn't even dare look out of her window, fearing what she would see. As long as there was that small hope inside her heart that it had been true, she could go on and find a reason to live. But if she went there… and found that she had created everything in her mind… that there was no such place as Lim Aear…

Her heart could never take it.

"…_there's just too much that time cannot erase…"_

One month. It was only one month. And the past six months did nothing to ease the intensity of the pain. What was a month? Who would ever take her seriously if she told them she had been doomed to love beyond death in only one month? She had hoped that her feelings would diminish as time passed… that the wounds would heal and each breath wouldn't be such a burden every day.

Trust a love between an elf and a mortal to defy all rules of logic.

If possible, it had grown stronger. As she looked back and had time to analyze how many things -important things- had happened in that short time, she felt as if that love had suddenly stretched over to centuries. So many emotions, so much pain, so many intense feelings could not fit into a month. Or a year. Or even a decade. The circumstances had forced them to go in such a fast pace, that they had missed the true meaning and gravity of everything. They had never realized what had blossomed between them and it was only after these months of meditation that Elaine finally realized the size and sublimeness of their love.

And the pain… the sadness… the terrible, so terrible loneliness…

She looked at the soft drizzle outside her window. The world had turned a dull grey as the clouds covered the darkening sky; as if the weather had taken pity upon her soul and decided to let out some of her sadness. It was not a raging storm, she was feeling; nor the freezing cold the snow brings as it falls on the ground. It was exactly that silent drizzle outside, steady and treacherous like the pain which was -slowly but steadily- eating her soul.

_  
"…your face it haunts  
my once pleasant dreams,  
your voice it chased away  
all the sanity in me…"_

The book was glaring once more at her from its corner. It seemed to haunt her, like his face. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the piercing gaze. For how long…? How long would she have to live like this? How long before she went insane?

The sky lit up with the first thunder, bringing the rocks to light at the end of the beach… her own 'haunted mansion'. The sound was deafening, but Elaine didn't even flinch. Her eyes were glued upon the beach and her rational side was trying to stop the memories triggered by the song and drown the small flame of hope that sparked inside her.

What if…?

She could not live like this. Uncertainty was a terrible thing, yet living without hope was even worse.

What to do? What to do under the irresistible power of Fate that draws you to your other half? What to do when you cannot feel complete unless you are united with your soul mate?

She hurriedly put on her shoes, not even bothering to grab a jacket. The drizzle had grown to a heavy rain by now and people were running to find shelter from the sudden summer storm. She took a step towards the door but halted, as she caught sight of the book with the corner of her eye.

"_But you still have…"_

She approached it with a sad smile and leaned down to lay a soft kiss upon its cover.

"_All of me…"_

_I'm coming, my Prince. I'm coming to find you._

The sound of the song soon couldn't reach her ears, as she ran down the stairs and burst through the front door to the heavy onslaught of the water above her. She felt a strange freedom in that natural chaos; wild and uninhibited, like her present emotions. She ran as fast as she could, her feet sinking in the wet sand, the rain making her jeans and T-shirt difficult to move in. She could not feel their cold touch; she could not feel anything but hope. Hope that she would find him there and tell him that they could finally live their own 'happily ever after'.

Her running gradually slowed down. Her few numb steps halted too. The view before her cut her breath short, as if she had received a painful blow.

There were no bushes. There was no cave either.

There was no Lim Aear.

"No… no, please God, no…" she moaned as she made her way to the smooth rocky surface, which had once been the entrance to the staircase that lead to the Gate, hidden behind the wild vegetation of the bushes.

She began feeling the rock for something… anything that would show her there was a cave there. But there was nothing. It was a simple compilation of rocks… Crying from her rage, she started hitting them furiously with her fists, as if the action would lessen her pain.

_Everything is lost… There's no hope now…_

There was no Lim Aear. There had never been. Her Prince was only a hallucination because of the sedation drugs…

_What is left for me now…?_

She slowly slid away from the rocks defeated and wiped her angry tears with her hand, not even bothering to take a second look at the bloodied scratches on her knuckles. She was a pitiful sight, drenched to the bone, the heavy rain and tearful face giving her the appearance of the most wretched creature in the world; and that's how she felt. She turned around and started walking back home.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Her head turned sharply at the sound of the voice she never thought she would hear again.

Oh, she was going mad. Her pain and memories had brought back the object of her desire to torture her even more… He was leaning casually against a rock, like he did that day in the gardens of Lim Aear against a tree, when she had gotten lost between the massive vegetation… Dear God, how long ago did it seem…

Elaine froze.

Legolas was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt, unlike that day. And although he tried hard to keep a calm exterior, she could tell he was battling with himself not to crush her into his arms.

Could it be…?

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming again…" she pleaded as she slowly approached him. Even wet from the rain, with his clothes clinging to his form, the elven light never left him.

"You never dreamt, ël tithen nín." /my little star/

At the sound of her endearment, she broke down. With a whimper she rushed to his arms, Legolas meeting her halfway and finally crushing her in his embrace. She ran her hands over him, touching his face, feeling his heartbeat under her palm to make sure he was real… And he was. His skin was warm beneath her and his lips that descended upon her with hunger and desperation left no room for doubts. He was there… and he was with her.

"Do not leave me again…" Legolas told her between kisses in a soft voice, with a tone that spoke clearly of the raging emotions inside him. For six months, he had waited until she found the courage to look for him… For six months he had watched her drown in her pain and hopelessness, unable to do anything but wait… Now that the moment had finally come and she was in his arms, it was hard to believe it. But it was true… they were finally together and nothing would separate them again.

"I was beginning to worry you'd never appear, child!" an amused voice came from behind them and Elaine disentangled herself from her husband's embrace to face its owner.

She gasped.

"The old fisherman…" she exclaimed in a wonder-filled voice, looking wide –eyed at the person before her.

"Yes, yes… That was me, my dear. You may call me Gandalf," he said with a smile and shook the remaining droplets off his hood. The rain had almost stopped, as suddenly as it had appeared… like every summer storm.

"You knew everything, didn't you? You knew what would happen," Elaine told Gandalf, as the pieces slowly moved to the right places and the picture of the puzzle was finally becoming clear.

"Oh, wizards know many things, but not everything," he answered with the familiar twinkle in his eyes that Elaine remembered all too well. Gandalf smiled at Legolas, who was standing behind his wife, an arm wrapped protectively around her waist; as if he was afraid he would lose her again.

"Can somebody PLEASE tell me what happened..?"

A shadow crossed the elf's face briefly at her question and the wizard's eyebrows rose.

"Why, you died my dear!"

Elaine was officially confused now.

"Then how am I here? I'm not a ghost, am I??"

A laugh escaped the wizard at the terror written on her face and he shook his head amused.

"You're quite alive, I assure you. The Lady of Light said you would both have to pay a price for your love, am I correct?"

Elaine nodded, trying desperately to figure out where this was going.

"You thought that Legolas' sacrifice was his decision to bind himself to you and die of grief because of that, and that your own was to leave your life behind and stay with your husband in Lim Aear," the wizard continued, Legolas sighing behind Elaine. "Things are not that simple child. They were never meant to be."

"The remaining Elves of Middle Earth… or Earth, as you may call it, had to return to Valinor. It was after you were… gone, that the elven world realized how much the world we had known so far had changed… that we were no more part of it… and so the Elves decided to leave these shores forever," Legolas explained, wincing visibly at the memory of her death.

'_I give this to you, so that your children will not forget their parentage, when our kind walks these grounds no more. We shall not meet again, Elaine.' _Galadriel's voice echoed in her mind, as the memory replayed before her eyes. So that was the reason she had given her that book… The Lady of Light had known all along what would happen and had made sure that she left a small token of their kin behind, a proof that their race had actually existed… a proof for Elaine that it had all been true… a spark of hope that would bring her back to her husband's arms…

"Your love was the force that made the wheels start spinning for the return of the Elves to Valinor. You both played your role in the complicated net of Fate," Gandalf continued.

Elaine wasn't sure if she was exactly happy at the fact that she had been a mere pawn in the Valar's greater plan. Nor at the fact that both she and Legolas had to go through such a predicament to make it succeed.

"The Valar restored you to thank you for the return of the first-born to Valinor and tried to make everything seem as a dream… or a hallucination, as I'm sure you were told." Gandalf added, when she saw doubt written on the young woman's face. "And in the end, your sacrifice was your own life to save Legolas'… and Legolas' sacrifice was his immortality to spend the rest of his life with you on Earth as a mortal."

Elaine's eyes widened at that. Had he given up his immortality as a price to stay with her? His last chance to join his family and friends at the Undying Lands?

"But you'll never see your kin again… Your own family…" she told Legolas, as she turned to face him.

"Where am I to go except by your side?" a playful smile played on his lips, as both of them remembered another time when he had uttered the same words.

It was too good to be true. Not even the happiest ending of all the happy endings in fairy-tales was as wonderful! The young woman was sure her heart would burst from excitement and relief, hope and utter happiness at the turn of events. She did not bother to question Gandalf how the Valar had managed to bring her back from death… or how they had brought her back in time. She had seen the power of the Elves' magic and actually… she didn't even care anymore. She would spend the rest of her life with the person she had thought lost to her forever only minutes ago and nothing else mattered!

Only…

"Gandalf, I don't understand. Why did we have to go through all this trouble to make the Elves return to Valinor? Couldn't the Valar just ask them? And where the hell is Valinor, anyway??"

Gandalf laughed heartily once more and Legolas chuckled shaking his head. Oh, his sweet Elaine… He had missed her so much!

"Have you learned nothing, Elaine?" Gandalf asked her in an amused voice, as they all started walking along the beach. "Do not question fate; just meet it."

**The End**

* * *

I would like to thank you once more for your support! Stick around for my new story "Sleeping Beauty", which will be posted this week! 


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